For years, the Eastern Bypass was synonymous with nyama choma, beer and other drinks, with hundreds of revellers thronging its popular entertainment joints after a day of business or to unwind with friends.
Among the establishments that helped shape the area’s early hospitality scene was Kamakis Restaurant, which operated along the busy road long before the proliferation of other eateries and entertainment spots.
But as the bypass expanded and the population around it grew, new businesses began emerging, each seeking to carve out a niche in the increasingly busy corridor.
One woman saw an opportunity in an unlikely delicacy for the Central Kenya market fish.
While nyama choma dominated menus and attracted large crowds, Monica Waithera, popularly known as Wakalucy, believed there was a market for people who preferred fish.
She opened Wakalucy Fish Palace along the Eastern Bypass, introducing customers to a different culinary experience and building a business around delicacies sourced from the lake.
Kihuria Wandong’oro, in a Facebook post reflecting on Wakalucy’s business, said the popularity of her fish outlets demonstrated the growing demand for fish in Kenya.
“Have you ever been to Wakalucy Fish Palace in Kasarani (Car Wash) and seen the multitude of customers trying to have a taste of her fried fish, especially on weekends? There is a whole lot of market for fish, and the demand is much higher than the supply, to a point of importing fish,” he wrote.
Wandong’oro said fish farming, which he described as part of the blue economy, could be a lucrative venture, arguing that farmers with good ponds and the right breeds would readily find a market for their produce.
For years, Wakalucy Fish Palace became a destination for fish lovers, attracting customers from different parts of Nairobi and Kiambu.
Her establishment was not simply another restaurant along the bypass. It represented the vision of an entrepreneur who identified a gap in a market dominated by traditional nyama choma joints and dared to build a brand around it.
The business later expanded beyond Kamakis, with outlets at Club Carwash along Kasarani-Mwiki Road, Mirema Drive in Roysambu and Bypass Marurui.
In one of its social media posts, Wakalucy Fish Palace described its offering as fish “fresh from the Lake to your plate”, promising customers a carefully prepared delicacy.
The expansion reflected the popularity the brand had gained among its growing clientele.
Kenyans from different walks of life visited the outlets to sample the fish delicacies associated with Wakalucy, turning a simple restaurant idea into a growing hospitality brand.
But behind the successful entrepreneur was a woman quietly battling illness.
Wakalucy Fish Palace founder and owner Monica Waithera has reportedly died at the age of 46 after a period of illness.
News of her death has triggered an outpouring of messages from friends, customers and people who had interacted with her through her business and social media.
Social media influencer Mbote Njogu, who said he had never met Waithera physically but had communicated with her by phone, mourned her as an entrepreneur whose legacy would live on.
“I never met her, but we had conversations through the phone. Your legacy will live forever,” Njogu wrote on social media, praising her fish as incomparable.
Former media personality Zulu Thiong’o also expressed his condolences to Waithera’s family, describing her as the entrepreneur behind Wakalucy Fish Palace.
He extended his sympathies to Faith Leparakuo, identified as Waithera’s younger sister, and the entire family.
Waithera’s journey stands out in an industry where businesses come and go with changing tastes and trends. She identified a gap, took a risk and built a recognisable fish brand in an area better known for nyama choma and entertainment.
From the Eastern Bypass to Kamakis, Mirema and Kasarani, the Wakalucy name became associated with fish and an alternative dining experience.
Her death brings to an end the life of an entrepreneur who dared to take a different path at a time when the hospitality scene was largely defined by familiar menus.
The family and the Wakalucy Fish Palace fraternity are yet to issue an official communication on her death and funeral arrangements.
For her customers, however, the outlets she built remain a reminder of the woman who believed that there was room for something different and turned that belief into a thriving business.
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