The Kenyan branch of the American fast-food restaurant, KFC, has run out of fries it says.

“Ya'll loved our chips a little too much, and we've run out. Sorry! Our team is working hard to resolve the issue,” the chain tweeted on Monday.

The cause of the shortage is a shipping delay caused by the pandemic, according to Business Daily Africa.

“Ships have been delayed for more than a month now, but we are working hard to restore as the first containers are arriving in the port tomorrow,” the firm’s chief executive for East Africa, Jacques Theunissen, said in an interview with the business news website on Monday.

The company does not source potatoes locally, Mr Theunissen told them.

"The reason we cannot buy local at the moment is all suppliers need to go through the global QA approval process and we cannot bypass that even if we run out to ensure that our food is safe for consumption by our customers," Mr Theunissen continued.

On Twitter, some KFC customers expressed anger that the restaurant imports potatoes.

"This is unacceptable and a ridicule to our hardworking farmers across our Nation," one person wrote.

If they "cannot purchase the potatoes from Kenyan Suppliers, then we all have the moral right to #BoycottKFC" another wrote.

Fam it was truly a Furaha December. Mlikula sherehe with your KFC faves. Ya'll loved our chips a little too much, and we've run out. Sorry! Our team is working hard to resolve the issue. In the meantime here are some SWAP options for combo meals if you are craving our Kuku. pic.twitter.com/ylvnqxtPD0

— KFC Kenya (@KFCinKenya) January 3, 2022