Where and how to party in Kenya

The Capital has always maintained its spot at the top when it comes to partying. A melting pot of different cultures, Nairobi offers what many cities would dream of. Before Covid-19 hit, fun seekers would throng the Central Business District (CBD) to party.

Clubs like Mojos, Tribeka, Samba, Silk and the rest made sure the midweek party was as enticing as the weekends. Legions of artiste were accessible every Tuesday as they sought to launch and perform exclusive new songs.

Post the pandemic, many found it tiring to party in the CBD and club owners changed with the times. More prominent clubs started emerging in the suburbs and around estates with Kilimani and the famous Mirema Drive.

Kitengela-based club proprietor Timothy Ole Timz Kasaine says that patrons have moved away from the cities to the suburbs, creating what he calls the “doughnut effect”.

“Over the last few years and due to underlying issues such as the state of the economy and the natural calamities that have been happening, people have stopped clubbing in city centers and opt to race closer home. For proprietors, there are bigger spaces to build such premises unlike in the CBD. Again other factors such as the cost of cabbing from the city to your place is higher compared to your local which might be better in terms of services and security,” says Kasaine.

Themed and roaming parties

In Nairobi, the party never stops. There is something for everyone. Whether you are into my thing or your own thing, the city under the sun is accommodative of all tastes of music.

“I believe in community and I wanted to make a niche for my brand that is why I started Rhythm and Brunch Africa with my friend, a Millennial Day Party, that celebrates the spirit of RnB. This re-invention has stamped my brand not only as a deejay but also a modern curator producing a festival,” says deejay JT The Drone.

The concept behind Rhythm & Brunch’s signature event is simple – transport attendees back in time to the golden age of R&B through music, ambience, and vibes. Each Rhythm & Brunch features a lineup of DJs spinning the biggest hits and fan favourites from the late 90s and early 2000s, with a focus on artists like Usher, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Nelly, Destiny’s Child, and more.

“RnB culture has stood the test of time. The only thing that has happened is the re-incarnation of this in Africa. Kenya has taken the lead on the genre and of course, time will tell if it holds up, especially for Festivals. Most Gen-Zs are getting a little bit of culture shock from the fact that RnB is this huge. However, the Millennials are really enjoying given the fact that this is the music they grew up with. I have seen a lot of Gen-Z in RnB festivals and it’s proof that timeless music speaks louder across all cultures and ages,” he adds.

 “Currently the party scene in Kenya is on another level, Nairobi leads by far followed by Eldoret, Kisii and other towns. In places like Eldoret and Kisii, you can find a club going up on a Tuesday and its serious parties with guest DJs and MCs and in some situation an artiste on a random weekday. Timba XO has really changed the party scene in the North Rift region. They’re also clubs like TLB in Eldoret which hosted Rayvanny last weekend and they were celebrating their 1st Anniversary are really doing good considering the fact they’re outside Eldoret town,” says Sameer Bry, a media personality and event MC, famous with the Amapiano Tour Ke.

Amapiano Tours

“Amapiano is all about celebrating the culture and enjoying the vibes, we’ve been in several parts of the country from Kakamega to down in Diani. Amapiano Tour is about vibes and team work that’s why its all always successful wherever we go, we look forward for a massive event on the 7th in Mombasa, fans should follow us on our socials for more details,” he adds.

Aluta Continua

One of the recent phenomenon that have taken over is the ‘aluta’ craze.

 “Lately, we are also seeing the famous ‘aluta’ culture gaining prominence, especially for ‘miraa’ lovers. Most clubs have themed weekends or weekdays, where their patrons can binge for a two-day or more affair having some good time while listening mostly to Reggae music. On Sunday morning you will hear terms like Sunday School and at some joints, we have seen patrons being provided with sleeping pods and a place to shower without leaving the premises,” says reggae heavyweight MC Teargas. Prominent place frequented are Kifaru Place on Mombasa Road and Alfakher Lounge in Mirema.

DJs are always the life of the party. With good DJs comes good music and vybes and this is where Nairobi beats the other party hubs.

“First of all in Mombasa, owners hardly appreciate deejays from Mombasa unlike Nairobi where there are many options and marketers and owners of the clubs are willing to give everybody platform,” says DJ Saye who applies her tools of trade in both cities on a weekly basis.

“Mombasa nightlife isn’t as big as Nairobi in terms of how people party during the week! Mombasa can have good nights only on the weekends whereas Nairobi can be full from Monday to Monday depending on themes and the deejays of the night,” she points out.

Although the coastal city had shown glimpses of a thriving entertainment hub with the likes of Chris Brown performing there, the buzz has simmered down with critics pointing fingers to the County Government of not supporting event organisers.

Enter Onntz world

Oontztopia is an electronic music collective based in Nairobi, which has created a tightly bound community through house music and euphoric energy. It is frequented by Gen Zs and a percentage of millennials. In this circle, Suraj Ke is a revered name.

Major Towns

The clubbing culture in these towns is the consonance that comes with the close proximity of Nairobi and the number of campuses around the towns.

“The thing about such towns is that there are few establishments and some are well equipped with state-of-the-art sound systems. With good services and the ability to attract comrades, the vybes will always be there but mostly its during the weekends,” says DJ Carlos aka the Champion Boy.

The DJ says the digital age has brought some sort of balance and people are well versed with the latest trends and songs. So long as a town or city has a number of higher education institutions, the party will never be dull. Comrades will always party, whether the HELP boom has kicked in or not.

“Currently ‘mapangale’ is the latest dance trend and from Tiktok to clubs, you will see people doing the challenge or dancing it on the dance floor. Then having themed nights which includes Karaokees vary from one town to another. There are places when reggae is played on Thursdays or weekdays heavily influenced by the K1 one,” he adds.

Mainstays

There are those party lovers who will go club to club following a certain DJ or theme. A certain clique will have their own niche and whether they are in Nairobi or even out, they will follow the party religiously. Top will hover from one town to another whether by air or by road, they will make sure the party never stops. Most of them ply between Nairobi, Eldoret, Kisumu and Mombasa in that precedence. Once in a month, you will find them in other bigger towns, or corporate-sponsored events. The symbiotic relationship and rhyming chemistry between DJs and their MCs has always been

Nobody can stop reggae

From the days of Black Supremacy when reggae MC would transverse the country with corporate backing, reggae music continues to enjoy a massive following. It’s a common occurrence for clubs to have at least a themed night for reggae with Nairobi’s K1 Thursday reggae popular in the capital for decades now.

Every year, International reggae acts have been treating its fanatics to several concerts which spirals to club appearances where they interact with patrons.

The Reggae Boyz synonymous with MC Fullstop, Smarsh The DJ and DJ Navel Ke have been gracing different towns for more than a decade now.