I am ready for shopping! Where is the best mall to shop in Kisumu?
Well, first of all, you are in luck. Kisumu Dala has got all you need.
What about the name of the malls?
The best ones are United mall, Megacity Mall, Westend Mall, Mega Plaza Mall and Tufform Mall.
In the next section, we will discuss each of these malls, the facilities and shops available, the parking space status and the location.
United mall Kisumu
United Mall is the busiest and most visited mall in Kisumu. The key attraction of the mall is the carrefour supermarket, one of the most popular supermarkets in Kenya.
It is located along Jomo Kenyatta Highway next to Naivas supermarket and opposite Arya Primary School.
Features
Operating time: 8 am to 8 pm every day.
Distance from the CBD: 1.5 Km ( 3 minutes)
Supermarkets: Carrefour supermarket
Restaurants: Java House, KFC and Pizza Inn.
Banks: Cooperative bank, Equity Bank ATM, Standard Chartered Bank ATM, DTB ATM, National Bank ATM
Clothing stores: LC Waikiki, City Walk, Vivo, Hurleys Collection
Other Main Stores: Bata, Umoja, Berber shops and Salons.
Parking: Outdoor. The mall has paid ample parking space but is always busy because of its popularity.
Security: Great. Several check-up points from the gates to the entrances.
Children Playground: Available. Outdoor. Bouncing castles, Slides, Swings and Mary-Go-Rounds.
Cinema: None
Furniture Store: None
Bar/Club: None.
Washrooms: Available. Paid (Why? This should change). Very clean and well-maintained.
Overall Review
United mall is the best mall in Kisumu. It is excellent for family household shopping, eat-outs, meetups, and dates. Not ideal if you intend to have a meeting. The parking space is a plus, and the children's playground is a lifesaver.
Westend mall Kisumu
A modern mid-size mall located a few metres from the Central Business District along Achieng Oneko Road.
The mall's attractions are Java House restaurant, Woolworths, the banks and Acacia Premier Hotel, which is very convenient for travel and leisure tourist.
The African art display stands at the parking lot are also an attractive feature. You should check them out whenever you visit the mall.
Features
Operating time: 8 am to 8 pm every day.
Distance from the CBD: 100 metres ( 1 minute by vehicle)
Supermarket: Chandarana Foodplus Supermarket.
Restaurants: Java House and Indian Restaurants
Clothing stores: Woolworths and City Walk
Banks: DTB Bank and Stimma Sacco
Furniture Store: Tacc Store
Other Main Stores: Bata, Umoja, Berber shops and Salons.
Parking: Outdoor. Though usually busy because of the limited parking space.
Security: Good. Check-up point at the gate, and the guards are constantly patrolling.
Children Playground: None.
Cinema: None
Bar/Club: Tapas Bar and Restaurant.
Washroom: Available. Paid (Yet to understand why?). Well maintained and very clean.
Overall Review
Great for meetups, meetings, chilling and family outings. It is also a great place to shop for clothes but could do better for household and essential shopping. If you intend to purchase household goods, you are better off going to a mall with a major supermarket like United Mall or Megacity Mall. Parking space can also be a problem during the peak seasons.
Megacity Mall Kisumu
Located along the Kisumu-Nairobi Highway and next to Moi Stadium Kisumu, Megacity, the largest mall in Kisumu, is a popular spot for locals, travellers and tourists.
The mall's main attractions are the Naivas supermarket, the cinema and the indoor children playing area.
Features
Operating time: 8 am to 8.30 pm every day.
Distance from the CBD: 2 Kilometres ( 3 minutes by vehicle)
Supermarket: Naivas Supermarket.
Restaurants: Mon Ami Restaurant
Clothing stores: Millionaire and City Walk
Hospitals and Pharmacies: Bliss Medical Center, Goodlife, West Kenya Diagnostic and Imaging Centre Kisumu
Banks: Cooperative Bank ATM, KCB ATM
Furniture Store: DR. Mattress, Odds and Ends
Other Main Stores: Berber shops and Salons.
Parking: Outdoor.Amble space for parking any type of vehicle.
Security: Good. Check-up point at the gates and the entrance to the mall.
Children Playground: Available. Indoor. Games such as Bumper cars and arcades
Cinema: MEGA Cinemas
Bar/Club: Da Bar, Micky’s Sports Bar
Washroom: Available. Free and multiple. Well maintained and very clean.
Overall Review
The mall is perfect for household shopping, family time, and romantic dates, and you can also watch a movie at the cinema or hang out at the bars.
Not ideal for meetups; the restaurants in the mall are limiting. United Mall and Westend Mall for cloth shopping.
The furniture stores are well stocked and have unique items, especially Dr Mattress and Odd & Ends.
Furthermore, it is a great place to bring children during the weekend. Let them play as you watch from the restaurant or the bar.
Mega plaza mall kisumu
Opened in 1998, Mega Plaza is the grandfather of malls in Kisumu. The mall is located at the heart of the Central Business District, along Oginga Odinga Street.
The main attraction is the Carrefour supermarket and the many electronics shops available.
Features
Operating time: 8 am to 9 pm every day.
Distance from the CBD: 0
Supermarket: Carrefour Supermarket.
Restaurants: Mimi’s Pizza
Clothing stores: Jade Collection and City Walk
Hospitals and Pharmacies: Bliss Medical Center, Goodlife
Banks: Cooperative Bank ATM, KCB ATM
Furniture Store: None
Other Main Stores: Healthy U, Beyond Fruits, Berber shops and Salons.
Parking: Underground.Accessible from the back.
Security: Good. Check-up point at both entrances to the mall.
Children's Playground: None
Cinema: None
Bar/Club: None
Washroom: Available. Paid.
Overall Review
It is a good place for quick-stop shopping, household shopping at carrefour and shopping for electronics like laptops and phones.
Not ideal for fun activities like family eat-outs due to the limited number of restaurants and lack of a children's playground.
Parking can also be stressful, being that it is in the CBD.
Tufform Mall
Tufform mall is a new mall in Kisumu known for being business centred, with a few bars and restaurants on the top floors. The view of the city and the lake from the mall is breathtaking.
It is located in the CBD just next to the junction between Oginga Odinga street and Achieng’ Oneko road.
Features
Operating time: 8 am to 6 pm every day.
Distance from the CBD: 0
Supermarket: None.
Restaurants: Pizza Place and Oriental Chinese Restaurant
Clothing stores: None
Hospitals and Pharmacies: Goodlife
Banks: Paramount Bank, Standard Chartered Bank
Furniture Store: None
Parking: Limited.
Security: Good. Check-up point at the entrance.
Children's Playground: None
Cinema: None
Bar/Club: Dala Restaurant and Bar
Washroom: Available. Paid.
Overall Review
The mall is more of a business centre, but if you want a place to chill and relax as you watch the buzz of activities happening in the CBD, then it is the place to be.
It is relatively new, so the traffic is still low, which can be good if you don’t like bumping into many people.
Not ideal for anything shopping related.
The Indian and Chinese restaurants are excellent and worth trying out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I hang out in Kisumu?
Club Da Place and Black Pearl for the nightlife, Dunga Beach, Hippopoint and Dunga Hill Camp for the amazing sunsets, Impala Park, Ndere National Park and Ruma National for the wildlife lovers and United Mall and Megacity for children's playgrounds, dates, shopping and the cinema bingers.
What are the best supermarkets in Kisumu?
Naivas, Quickmart,Carrefour, Food Plus and Khetias supermarkets.