WHEN THINGS become tough, restaurant owners also become strict. 

Ever since I got my Kiraka, I have been visiting this joint where they serve lunch by laying a long table filled with all tribes of food. It is a buffet and many of us flock the place for lunch. 

As I have been trying to check on my weight, I have been trying to avoid those huge chunks of meat. But others really do justice to those mega pieces of meat by heaping their plates. Sometimes, the chef clad in white stands behind the table and insists on serving the meat himself!

So, recently, I was serving myself and when I reached the last dish where the meat was loaded, the chef looked at me with a wry smile and gave me some information that was quite amusing; "good afternoon sir, I know you very well. Unlike other people who come here, I have noticed that you eat little meat. Oh my – you know others really heap a lot of meat men!” I found this funny indeed. I guess restaurant owners will start auditing their clients to check how many pieces of fried chips they place on plates!

This reminded me of an incident many years ago. I was with Aggrey in Kabeza where we had gone for African nosh. We entered the crowded restaurant and many people were already lining up for the buffet. We joined in as well. During those days, a plate of food cost Rwf600 only. The queue became longer as customers entered for the delicious meal. When our turn came, we served ourselves with so much food.

Looking around this restaurant, you would think that a thousand hills were cropping up on the tables. This is because most plates looked mountainous with heaps of chips and matooke. As a customer walked to a table, you could sense that his hand was trembling under the heavy weight of the plate. Sometimes, the overfilled soup would leak out and leave stains on their attires.

It was time for settling the bill. So the waitress brought the bills and each plate cost Rwf 1,000! Why the sudden increase in price? Was there any discrimination? Was it because we were dressed top class suits? We demanded for immediate explanations.

"Ah, you see Sirs; your bill is high because of one reason. Sirs, you loaded your plate with four pieces of meat instead of one. That is why the amount is different, Sirs.”