Factors Influencing Fast-food Consumption in Kampala, Uganda

Consumption of fast-foods in Uganda is becoming an increasingly important component of the food market as the working class choose to dine out rather than prepare meals at home. Descriptive statistics show that chips, chicken, sausages, meat and "chaps" are the most consumed fast-foods. Consumption of these foods are motivated by their tasty and convenient nature. Results from the Heckman model show that age, household size, education level and distance from work-place to restaurant negatively influenced the probability and level of fast-food consummption while disposable monthly income and time spent away from home had positive effects on the probability and expenditure level of fast-foods. Developing countries like Uganda are increasingly adopting the lifestyle of developed countries and this has led to a high demand for fast-foods by the middle class in urban centres like Kampala. This can be exploited by multinational fast-food restaurants to open branches in urban centres like Kampala.