Nairobians flock to recreational parks, entertainment joints for Christmas

Hundreds of Nairobi residents flocked to various entertainment joints and recreational parks with their loved ones to celebrate this year’s Christmas Day.

The majority of them who did not travel upcountry due to the high cost of living thronged the recently renovated Uhuru Park, Jee-van-Jee Gardens and City Park among other places to while away the time far from the estates.

Some blamed tough economic times and hiked fares to the village; instead preferring to spend Christmas in Nairobi.

This was the case of Ambrose Otieno a father of three from Homa-Bay County.

“Me and the family couldn't travel to the village this time round, the year has been tough with school fees and other stuff for the family,” he told The Standard.

“The fare alone to my rural home was hiked from Sh1,700 to Sh3,000 which I could not raise it is cheaper to spend Christmas in Nairobi than plan to travel another time, the schools will also open in another two weeks,” he added.

The same was echoed by Lydia Nyaboke from Nyamira who noted that she opted to spend the stay in the city and save a little for her children’s back-to-school shopping.

At the Park Griffins Nambita, a manager at Optimax events that offer dryslide services, said their business did better than last year since there was adequate space.

"Last year we had limited space. We are into half-day but as compared to last year, we're expecting more returns," he said, adding that the cost of the services had increased. 

"Last year we were a bit cheaper. We used to charge Sh50 per slide but today (Wednesday) we are charging Sh200 per slide," he stated. 

Uhuru Park was reopened in April 2024 after undergoing renovation courtesy of NMS giving it a fresh look.

Unlike before, Uhuru Park now boasts a playground, an outdoor gym, jogging tracks, botanical trails, an outdoor library, and a skating park.

The walkways have been replaced with colourful slabs with well-manicured lawns, beautifully trimmed trees and complete with sculptures of different animals.

The area that was used as a podium was brought down and the open field now boasts of small fountains and wooden benches.

NMS was allocated about Sh2 billion for the renovation of parks through the 2021/22 supplementary budget.

Other city dwellers, stepped out to make memories despite the harsh economic times that denied them the opportunity to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones back in the village. 

"There's no money. I couldn't afford to go to the village, but I am glad to be here at Uhuru part to make merry. It is important. I cherish the moments," said Joseph Muiruri, a city dweller who hails from Naivasha. 

He urged the government to create jobs for the youth who are languishing in poverty despite having attained the required levels of education. 

"We ask the government to save the youths. Many of us are jobless. We can't afford the life we would wish to live even after completing our studies," he said. 

Meanwhile, traders in various markets including the Burma meat market, Kiamaiko and Njiru slaughter reported low sales of beef compared to other years.

At Nairobi's Kiamaiko, traders lamented that the situation has been occasioned by the high cost of living in a place that was once a beehive of activities during Christmas and other holidays.

Many traders, particularly, goat-sellers, the majority of whom remained idle, said they were baffled by the turn of events, recording less sales as compared to previous years. 

"We've never seen a December like this. Livestock prices have shot up and many people are not able to afford them," said Adan Wario, a goat seller at Kiamaiko. 

In the past, Wario said, he would sell 40 to 30 goats per day, which was not the case this year, as he had witnessed the drop. 

Another trader Gedi Salat, previously, would make sales of upwards of 100 goats but he was unable to hit the number as usual.

“It is bad for both business people, clients and the general public. The cost of living is crushing everyone. People just can't afford meat anymore,” said Salat, observing that people could be prioritizing what they need to survive.

In the market prices shot up with medium-sized goats that many purchases going for Sh16,000 at the lowest up from Sh10,000. 

"A big goat goes for upwards of Sh18,000 while the smaller size goes for Sh7,000. But most buyers would want to bargain to Sh13,000 and Sh5,000 for big and smaller sizes respectively, which is a loss to the seller," said Kiamaiko chairman, Ibrahim Hassan. 

Photos by Stafford Ondego and David Gichuru.