When clubbing stops being fun.... Why Nakuru residents are shifting from nightlife to afternoon outings

After an exhausting morning of work, I took a break in the afternoon and decided to visit a café on the outskirts of the city that my friends had recommended.

So I took a taxi and made my way there. It was clear from the full car park that there must be a lot of people in the place.

As I walked into the place, I noticed groups of people seated and of course a lot of laughter in the midst of conversations, with soulful amapiano playing in the background.

From the looks of their faces, most of them appear to be young, probably in their late 20s by my estimation.

In the spirit of socialising and an interesting game of poker, I strike up a conversation with a group seated at one of the tables.

Naturally, the conversation ranges from matters of anti-government protest to matters of trendy tik tok challenges.

Then Jimmy, one of the six people I was sitting with, brings up the fact that he doesn't like to go to nightclubs; he prefers to go on afternoon outings to cooler places.

This opens up a whole conversation on the subject.

Jimmy says, "Whenever we go to the big clubs here in Nakuru, the bouncers often ask for our ID cards, they look at it and tell you that this club only allows those who are 27 years and above and they insist that if you want to get in you have to part with some money, this really irritates me because the fact that I have an ID card means that I am old enough, so why stop me?

Cyril agrees with his friend and says that even after you gain access, there is this concept that hovers over you and watches you constantly when you are in the establishment and it makes you feel very insecure.

Monique, on the other hand, says that for her it is always about how she was going to get home afterwards.

"For me, safety is usually a priority, especially since I live in Kiamunyi, getting out of the club in the early hours of the morning and getting home is usually the biggest headache as I can't just take any cab I want, so I'd rather just stay home and watch Instagram reels and TikTok's until I fall asleep," she says. 

In addition to this Monique says that she prefers a cooler environment as opposed to large crowds of people with loud music. 

As darkness came, this group of young people, along with others who were there, began to live. 

On Sunday afternoon I went to another venue and was greeted by a similar sight. This time, a group of people are sitting in what looks like a living room, listening and singing along to a live band while sipping their favourite drinks. 

From the way they interacted with each other and the staff, it was easy to see that they must be regulars. 

If what the other people had told me the day before was anything to go by, then it is safe to say that this is the new thing in town. 

Activities like picnics, paint and sip, art exhibitions are all the rage in Nakuru these days, will these activities replace Nakuru's nightlife? Only time will tell.