Smoke, skewers: Uganda’s roadside grilling culture
Cuts of beef, goat, pork, liver, or chicken gizzards are marinated in garlic, salt, lemon juice, crushed Royco—and sometimes even Uganda Waragi—for that extra zing.
Roadside grilling isn’t confined to Kampala. From Jinja’s busy highway to the red-dust roads of Gulu, Ocorimongin Market and Mubende, you’ll find clusters of vendors illuminated by paraffin lanterns, shouting prices, flipping meat, and slicing onions. (Credit: Titus Kakembo)
By Titus Kakembo
Journalists @New Vision
Behind every cloud of meat-scented smoke is a story of grit and grind.
“I started with just a charcoal stove and half a kilo of beef in 2020,” recalls Moses Kafeero, who set up shop in Wandegeya on the outskirts of Makerere University. “I had no formal job. But firewood, meat, and salt? That I could afford.”
Today, Kafeero grills up to 10 chicken every night, catering to students, taxi drivers and late-night revellers. His stall also offers toffee-browned meat on skewers served with raw cabbage, tomato slices, a dash of pepper, and occasionally, a story or two. Like him, hundreds of Ugandans have turned grilled meat into a sustainable source of income.
The flavour of the streets
Ask any local, and they’ll tell you: meat tastes better on the roadside.
Why? It’s all about the smoke, the spice, and the setting.
Cuts of beef, goat, pork, liver, or chicken gizzards are marinated in garlic, salt, lemon juice, crushed Royco—and sometimes even Uganda Waragi—for that extra zing. Skewered and slow-roasted over open charcoal fires, the meat is manually fanned using homemade blowers—often repurposed plastic jerrycans.
“It’s the combination of fresh air, live fire, and a little chaos that makes it delicious,” says Alice Namakula, a roadside meat enthusiast in the Kampala city suburb of Ntinda. “No five-star restaurant can match that smoky taste.”
The business of nyama choma
What looks like a humble hustle is, in fact, a thriving micro-enterprise. Depending on the location and flow of traffic, vendors report daily profits between shillings 30,000 and sh150,000.
The job comes with its share of challenges:
- Unpredictable meat prices
- Occasional harassment or bribe demands from city council enforcers
- Poor sanitation infrastructure in informal setups
Skewered and slow-roasted over open charcoal fires, the meat is manually fanned using homemade blowers—often repurposed plastic jerrycans. (Credit: Titus Kakembo)
Still, the fires keep burning.
“It’s risky, but worth it,” says Kafeero. “Some customers say my meat is tastier than what they get in hotels. That keeps me going. Extra-hot pepper? Always optional, especially for my Nigerian and Indian clients.”
Part of Uganda’s road culture
Roadside grilling isn’t confined to Kampala. From Jinja’s busy highway to the red-dust roads of Gulu, Ocorimongin Market and Mubende, you’ll find clusters of vendors illuminated by paraffin lanterns, shouting prices, flipping meat, and slicing onions.
Drivers pull over. Music booms from phones. Cold sodas hiss open. Strangers become friends over skewers. For a moment, meat becomes a unifier, cutting across tribe, class, and politics.
The next bite
With rising youth unemployment and the high cost of urban living, roadside meat vending continues to draw new entrants—some are university graduates; others, returnees from abroad. All are drawn by the promise of quick cash, flexible hours, and the timeless appeal of meat over fire.
Tourists are catching on, too. “Visitors now ask for salad bars alongside their meat,” laughs one vendor in Lukaya. “Some even want their gizzards medium-rare!”
And it’s not just meat on the menu. Popular roadside accompaniments include roasted gonja, cassava, Irish potatoes, Rolex, and even a daring snack called the “Bomb”—stuffed offal grilled to perfection. Wash it down with soda, beer, or local gin—and you’ve had a taste of Uganda’s roads.
Whether you’re a tourist chasing authenticity or a Ugandan commuter chasing hunger, one thing is sure:
The best bites in Uganda are often found under the stars—served on a skewer, with a side of hustle.