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Kenya is seeing a rapid rise in chinese entertainment outlets following increased investments in the hospitality industry by Chinese investors. There are currently close to 1，500 Chinese-owned clubs in Kenya， according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism. Latest figures from the ministry show that 346，000 Kenyans visit Chinese-owned and operated clubs every Friday and Saturday alone.
The clubs offer alcoholic Chinese drinks and serve Chinese food， while at the same time pumping out Kenyan music， karaoke and disco. Entry to most of the clubs is free and many of them operate 24 hours a day， with the only restriction being that patrons must be above the age of 18.
Majority of the clubs are situated in Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the holiday city of Mombasa， situated along the Indian Ocean coastline. Most of these clubs are located in the cities’ slum quarters， because families in these areas tend to spend heavily on entertainment. In addition， there is a growing interest in Chinese culture among these residents.
“I love visiting Chinese fun clubs here in central Nairobi. The beers， Chinese food， drinks and Chinese music are all good. The beers cost 150 shillings （$1.35） each. I frequent there every evening to relax after a long day’s work. The food is mostly Chinese and tasty，” Mofasa Rofancio， 71， a self-employed road engineer from Europe who has lived in Kenya for 59 years， told ChinAfrica.
The requirement for owning and operating such clubs in Kenya is not stringent. Under Kenyan law， operators of a club or disco only need a license， adhere to the age restriction， not sell illegal drugs and not knowingly allow any form of prostitution on the premises.
“I love dancing to Chinese music as well. I love to dance the night away in my free time，” said Rofancio.
According to the Ministry of Tourism figures， there are currently more than 200 applicants waiting to open and receive licenses to operate additional Chinese clubs in the country.
Despite security travel bans against Kenya last year by the British Government， the country increased its tourism revenue base by about $4 billion. Chinese tourists contributed approximately 37 percent of the revenue base， according to the Ministry of Tourism， opening the door for entrepreneurs to operate these Chinese clubs.
“It is wise to operate a Chinese club. I get a lot of Chinese customers who are usually new to the country. Most are tourists who are in the country for a short stay. But on the other hand， we neighbor one of Nairobi’s largest slums known as Kawangware. I do [also] get a lot of customers from there and they love the fair price of the food and drinks，” said Guo Zhou， 42， owner of China Club and Restaurant. He said more Kenyans from all walks of life are keen to know about Chinese culture and frequent the clubs no matter what their income.
Kenyans who have lived or studied in China are also opening up Chinese clubs to meet demand.
In Nairobi’s Mathare slum， Kenyan John Mutiso， 32， who studied in China， recently opened his own Chinese club. According to his books， the Motherland Chinese Club is getting 550 customers per day on Friday and Saturday alone and Mutiso has plans to make the club more competitive.
“Many of my customers live here in the slum and they have been my neighbors for many years. I can say I know many of them and they have a lot of interest in Chinese culture，” said John Mutiso.
With culture being a big part of deepening Sino-African relations， Kenya’s Chinese club trend goes a long way in the people-to-people connection.
The clubs offer alcoholic Chinese drinks and serve Chinese food， while at the same time pumping out Kenyan music， karaoke and disco. Entry to most of the clubs is free and many of them operate 24 hours a day， with the only restriction being that patrons must be above the age of 18.
Majority of the clubs are situated in Kenya’s capital Nairobi and the holiday city of Mombasa， situated along the Indian Ocean coastline. Most of these clubs are located in the cities’ slum quarters， because families in these areas tend to spend heavily on entertainment. In addition， there is a growing interest in Chinese culture among these residents.
“I love visiting Chinese fun clubs here in central Nairobi. The beers， Chinese food， drinks and Chinese music are all good. The beers cost 150 shillings （$1.35） each. I frequent there every evening to relax after a long day’s work. The food is mostly Chinese and tasty，” Mofasa Rofancio， 71， a self-employed road engineer from Europe who has lived in Kenya for 59 years， told ChinAfrica.
The requirement for owning and operating such clubs in Kenya is not stringent. Under Kenyan law， operators of a club or disco only need a license， adhere to the age restriction， not sell illegal drugs and not knowingly allow any form of prostitution on the premises.
“I love dancing to Chinese music as well. I love to dance the night away in my free time，” said Rofancio.
According to the Ministry of Tourism figures， there are currently more than 200 applicants waiting to open and receive licenses to operate additional Chinese clubs in the country.
Despite security travel bans against Kenya last year by the British Government， the country increased its tourism revenue base by about $4 billion. Chinese tourists contributed approximately 37 percent of the revenue base， according to the Ministry of Tourism， opening the door for entrepreneurs to operate these Chinese clubs.
“It is wise to operate a Chinese club. I get a lot of Chinese customers who are usually new to the country. Most are tourists who are in the country for a short stay. But on the other hand， we neighbor one of Nairobi’s largest slums known as Kawangware. I do [also] get a lot of customers from there and they love the fair price of the food and drinks，” said Guo Zhou， 42， owner of China Club and Restaurant. He said more Kenyans from all walks of life are keen to know about Chinese culture and frequent the clubs no matter what their income.
Kenyans who have lived or studied in China are also opening up Chinese clubs to meet demand.
In Nairobi’s Mathare slum， Kenyan John Mutiso， 32， who studied in China， recently opened his own Chinese club. According to his books， the Motherland Chinese Club is getting 550 customers per day on Friday and Saturday alone and Mutiso has plans to make the club more competitive.
“Many of my customers live here in the slum and they have been my neighbors for many years. I can say I know many of them and they have a lot of interest in Chinese culture，” said John Mutiso.
With culture being a big part of deepening Sino-African relations， Kenya’s Chinese club trend goes a long way in the people-to-people connection.