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Why Nakuru's party scene comes alive after midnight
A view of Platinum 7D in Nakuru city.
If you are a social butterfly, you know the importance of not arriving too early or too late to a party.
And as the sun sets and many retreat to their homes, a group of people in Nakuru take the opportunity to come alive.
The Deejays, create the town's nightlife with a mix of rhythms and energy. With their unique sounds and charisma, they transform the late night space into a dynamic hub of music and culture.
In Nakuru, the heartbeat of the party is as genuine as the spirit of the city and the Nakuru nightlife crowd speaks to this spirit and authenticity.
DJ Sirme, whose real name is Samuel Otieno, admits that there is indeed a big difference when comparing Nakuru's party scene to other cities.
"From what I have observed, in places like Nairobi, there are big spenders and therefore there is cash flow and this allows the entertainment industry to thrive," he says.
DJ SirMe before his performance at a Nakuru night club.
"Also, in Nakuru the clubs are only full on Fridays and Saturdays, the rest of the days you would only find a handful of people, this shows that Nakuru residents have not really embraced the party culture," he says.
There is also a difference in music played here and in other towns, there is a big difference.
"In Nairobi, the kind of music you play depends a lot on the club, so for example in the clubs in Westlands and Kilimani, you can play music that you cannot play in other clubs, but in Nakuru, the music you play in one club can easily be played in other clubs. However, the Nakuru crowd is the hardest to please," he says.
"A DJ from Nairobi might come and play here thinking he is dope, but the crowd might not respond to him in the end, so he always has to up his game."
DJ Reignherd at a recent event in Nakuru.
DJ Reignherd, whose real name is Wilson Opiyo, agrees with DJ Sirme and says that apart from the issue of money flow, in Nakuru you always find people living the club from around 3am.
"Whenever DJs come to Nakuru, they usually have a hard time, especially if you are new to this crowd. This is because in other towns, the main DJs usually start playing at 12am and go on until around 4am-5am, but in Nakuru, the prime time is usually between 1am and 2am, after which people usually start living in the premises," he says.
The aluta culture he says is slowly taking shape, but still a large percentage of people would prefer to experience the club early.
"If I were to compare the party culture of a few years ago and now, there is no difference, to be honest. This is because at any given time in Nakuru we only have about two or three big clubs, until one closes down for one reason or another. This therefore results in a limited number of entertainment venues for people to choose from, unlike a place like Nairobi where you are spoilt for choice," he says.
Nakuru indeed has a long way to go when it comes to the entertainment industry.