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Kenya Robot Waiters
Robotic waiter serves customers at a Robot Cafe in Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Aug. 29, 2024. The three robots, christened Claire, R24 and Nadia, are not programmed to have a full conversation with customers, but they can say "Your order is ready, Welcome" then people have to press an exit button after picking up their food from the tray. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Robot waiters in Kenya create a buzz. But there are concerns about what it means for human labor

The Robot Cafe in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, is creating a buzz by using preprogrammed robots to deliver food to customers

By DESMOND TIRO and EVELYNE MUSAMBI
Published - Sep 01, 2024, 12:14 AM ET
Last Updated - Sep 01, 2024, 12:14 AM EDT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — 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.

Nairobi has a vibrant tech industry with various startups and innovations in operation and has positioned itself as a tech hub in the East African region bearing the nickname The Silicone Savanna.

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.

These preprogrammed robots were acquired for entertainment. Cafe owner Mohammed Abbas says he experienced robot service in Asian and European countries and decided to invest in them.

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