After a year back in Nairobi—shopping at Uchumi and Naivas, and buying vegetables from sellers around Westlands—walking into an American Walmart again was genuinely disorienting. Not because I had forgotten how it worked. Because I could see it again.
The first shock was not the food. It was the choice: rows of cold medicine, peanut butter and breakfast cereal, with several versions of what appears to be the same thing. On a first trip, the danger runs in two directions. You can stand there comparing until you buy almost nothing, or fill the trolley because plenty can still feel temporary.
Start with ten items
Write down ten things you need. Go to one store. Buy those ten things and leave.
Do not try to understand the whole American grocery system on day one. You do not need to inspect every brand, compare every label or discover the best shop in town during your first week. The store will be there next week. The abundance is not going anywhere.
Find familiar food early
Look for international groceries as soon as you can. Availability varies by city and neighbourhood, so ask other East Africans where they shop and search near your home, workplace or regular bus route.
Indian groceries are especially worth checking. In my experience, they often carry ingredients familiar to East African kitchens. African and other international shops may also give you a smaller, more recognisable field of choice. Do not assume everything will be cheaper; compare the price and quantity before buying.
Learn what each store is for
Walmart and Costco are not interchangeable. Walmart carries a broad mixture of groceries and general merchandise. Costco operates as a membership warehouse, using a more limited selection and volume purchasing model.
Before going to Costco, ask three questions: Do I have access through a membership? Do I need this quantity? Can I store and use it before it goes to waste? If you need one bag of rice, Costco may be the wrong trip.
The operating rule
When an unfamiliar system offers too many choices, reduce the size of the job: one list, one store, one week. Learn where your regular items are first. Explore later.
This essay is part of the Year in Kenya series, written after twelve months in Nairobi from April 2025 to April 2026. The full reading order is available at gabrielmahia.com.