Kenya’s robot waiters are causing a stir. But there are concerns about what it means for human work

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Children giggle as young people use their smartphones to show how robots carry plates of freshly prepared meals on built-in trays to deliver them to diners at a crowded restaurant in Kenya’s capital.

Nairobi boasts a thriving technology industry, with many start-ups and innovative solutions. The city has established itself as a technology hub in the East African region, earning it the nickname of the Silicon Savannah.

This is Robot Cafe, probably the first of its kind in Nairobi and East Africa, where three robots move between human waiters, serving food to fascinated customers.

These programmed robots were acquired for entertainment. Cafe owner Mohammed Abbas says he had experience operating robots in Asian and European countries and decided to invest in them.

“Importing the robots was very expensive,” he says, but adds that the investment has paid off because the restaurant is “often full of curious customers” who come to use the robot’s services.

One customer, Packson Chege, takes a plate of fries from the robot’s tray while his colleague films the event across the table.

“I can say that it is something unique because here in our country, Kenya, I have never seen a restaurant like this, so I think for me it is a good idea from the owner of this restaurant,” he said.

The three robots, named Claire, R24 and Nadia, are not programmed to have a full conversation with customers, but they can say “Your order is ready, welcome,” and then customers must press the exit button after taking their food from their tray.

They are served by waiters via an iPad app.

Human servers still play an important role in the cafe’s operations, taking orders from customers who don’t use online ordering. Servers then place food on the robot’s tray when it’s ready and personally deliver drinks.

This technology is expected to revolutionize the job market around the world, especially in Africa, which has a young population with an average age of 19.

However, the cafe manager claims that robots will not replace waiters because they are not able to offer all services.

“At no point can robots fully function in all the services that are to be performed in a restaurant without the human touch,” said John Kariuki. “Robots are too expensive for us to acquire, so if you’re trying to save money, it’s not going to work if you go the robotics route.”

Hospitality industry expert Edith Ojwang said there is room for robot and human services to coexist in the industry.

“The hospitality industry is very diverse. We have customers who prefer robotic service and full automation, but we also have customers who prefer human service, the human touch and the warmth that comes with human service, so it’s not a complete threat to human labor because of the diverse nature of the hospitality customer base,” she said.