From city lights to the delights of Nakuru: Navigating culture shock after moving from Nairobi to Nakuru
Overview of Kenyatta Avenue street in Nakuru.
I remember the culture shock I experienced when I first moved to Nakuru town as a Nairobi girl.
There was no traffic in the Nakuru Central Business District (CBD) and people were in no hurry as they walked along the streets.
A far cry from Nairobi's CBD, which is characterised by vehicle traffic and hot, sweaty bodies constantly rushing about.
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The slower pace of Nakuru town is also evident in the slowness with which the locals speak.
If you are new to Nakuru or planning to move here, your fairy godmother is here to tell you about the unique things about this newly crowned city.
Apart from the slow pace of the town, one thing that might surprise you when you move to Nakuru is how early shops and businesses close.
Photo depicting how shops remain closed in Nakuru on Sundays
I remember sleeping hungry on my first night here, hoping to get a mama mboga as late as 9pm.
If you are new to Nakuru, I advise you to do your shopping as early as 6pm if you are the kind of person who does not buy in bulk.
While on the subject of shops closing early, another rude shock I received was how seriously Nakuru locals take Sunday's.
Most shops stay closed on Sundays, with the few 'money hungry' businessmen opening as late as 9am.
Coming from the country's capital, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean Nakuru town is and the wide distribution of litter bins within the CBD.
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Not only is it clean, but I was able to walk the streets of Nakuru without having to fight for space with hawkers and rogue Nduthi drivers driving in the wrong lane.
Nakuru town as a whole has quite a collection of wealthy individuals who own large tracts of land and big houses.
However, this wealth is not reflected in the way the locals spend their money; this is of course in comparison to the people who live in the 'city under the sun'.