The late Monica Waithera Chege, beloved founder of Wakalucy Fish Palace, is being mourned across Nairobi not just as a celebrated entrepreneur but as someone whose instinctive generosity touched lives in quietly extraordinary ways.
One tribute from a man named Maina Gachau has described a night in 2012 when Wakalucy’s quick thinking spared him from being swept up in a police arrest during a casual evening out in Kasarani.
White Coat Changed Everything
Maina had been out with friends at a car wash in Kasarani when a police lorry pulled up at the entrance.
Officers began rounding up people at the venue, herding them into the truck, and Maina suddenly found himself at real risk of being taken in alongside his companions.
It was Wakalucy who stepped in. Without hesitation, she grabbed a wet, freshly laundered white coat and pressed it into his hands.
“Madam Wakalucy threw a wet, freshly washed white coat and told me, ‘Maina, vaa hio, hawashiki waiters’,” he recalled.
The improvised disguise held. Maina slipped on the coat and blended in as a staff member, watching as officers passed him by. His friends were not as fortunate.
“That is how I survived the arrest and would later spend the rest of the night trying to bail my friends,” he said.
Looking back on that night years later, Maina described Wakalucy as someone who acted swiftly and without hesitation when someone needed help.
“You were a great lady. Shine on your way, Madam Wakalucy,” he said in his tribute.
Empire Wakalucy Built
Beyond personal stories like Maina’s, Wakalucy left behind a business legacy that reshaped Nairobi’s casual dining landscape.
Starting from modest beginnings, she grew Wakalucy Fish Palace into a recognisable brand with branches along Mirema Drive, Eastern Bypass, Kamakis, Ruiru, Juja and Kasarani.
At its height, the restaurants served up to 2,000 customers daily and employed more than 32 people.
Her establishments drew in regulars from across the city, including well-known Kenyan celebrities who frequently shared their meals from her restaurants on social media.
The brand became synonymous with flavourful, traditionally prepared fish dishes that kept customers coming back.
