Robot waiters in Kenya create a buzz. But there are concerns about what it means for human labor
NAIROBI, Kenya — Children giggle as young people flash their smartphones to film robots carrying plates of freshly prepared meals on their inbuilt trays to deliver to diners in a busy eatery in Kenya’s capital. This is the Robot Cafe, believed to be the first of its kind in Nairobi and East Africa, where three robots glide among human waiters serving food to mesmerized customers. “It was very expensive to import the robots,” he says, but adds that the investment has borne fruit, because the restaurant is “often busy with curious customers” who come to experience robot service. “At no point are the robots able to fully function in all the services that are supposed to be ongoing in the restaurant without the human touch,” John Kariuki said. “The robots are actually way too expensive for us to acquire, so if you are trying to save money, it is not going to work if you choose to go the robotic way.” A hospitality industry expert, Edith Ojwang, said that there’s room for robotic and human service to coexist in the industry.
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