By: K Seroney in the Midlands

A UK run Kenyan pub in the midlands is readying for the festive period. The owner Mrs Milka Hust a Kenyan born, said ‘am now relieved that refurbishing and decoration work are now over and I am looking forward to serving a thousand customers’. Milka an experienced bar attendant also runs two other pubs in Nottingham and Lincolshire. The Rocket pub one of the inner city Coventry city pubs was previously a football boozer dominated by white customers is now more of a general pub appeal to all races and now serves African cuisine.  Chapati, Mukimo, Irio , choma and Giheri are served all day in a separate section of the pub. ‘We now have buffet service on Sundays for families and it is encouraging to see how the numbers are going up, Milka said.

The pub with a capacity of up to 500 people has a function room upstairs a pool table and three large television screens perched on the wall. It has a parking area next to Coventry train station. A DJ comes in every weekend to play African music till late. The pub sells a variety of beers, wines and spirits and whiskies. A bottle of Kenya Tusker beer costs £3.

Kenyans demography has changed recently due a stubborn deep recession affecting the UK. People have moved out of London to the west midlands and there could be up to 3000 Kenyans in Coventry.

Kenyans in the UK will for the first time, vote in 2012. The new constitutional provision means that common centres as pubs and business premises are going to be important areas of meetings for the deliberations of Kenya’s political issues. In the recent past it has been reported that there are up to 3.4 million votes in the diaspora and it is expected that there will be an intense competition amongst the presidential candidates to travel abroad to win the votes. Milka could not confirm definite dates when she expect some presidential candidates to visit her pub, but confirmed that she is already in touch with some of them who were keen to visit the pub next year. A month ago Kalonzo Musyoka Kenya’s vice president met Kenyans resident of East London. It is unclear whether he will organise to visit Kenyans in residing in other cities of the UK what his diaspora strategy will be. Uhuru Kenyatta is a household name in the UK and there is a general expectation his visit is sure to attract huge gatherings just like Raila Odinga. William Ruto did a maiden visit to London in early 2007 which was a great success. Hon. Martha Karua’s strength to penetrate the diaspora is not to be underrated. In her last visit to Luton she addressed about 200. Peter Kenneth has strong networks in the UK.

The pub has been visited by Nakuru MP and nominated MP who is minister for East African community. Coventry and Warwick universities are two institutions popular with Kenyan students and past alumni in influential positions. Milka works as a court magistrate and is also a trained Librarian.