Nakuru City’s nightlife is never idle, never a dull moment, always in motion.

Even when this motion was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Rift Valley capital has always remained the most preferred entertainment hub outside the capital city Nairobi.

However, it is shocking that major night clubs and entertainment joints in Nakuru have been closing down.

In the past seven years Nakuru has witnessed the exit of several nightclubs and entertainment joints, much to the surprise of Walevi.

From club Samba, Rafikiz, Sting, Sebs, Sixty-four, Mocaloca…we could go on without taking a breath, but we let it stop at Mocaloca.

All these were clubs located in Nakuru City's Central Business District (CBD).

They no longer exist and many others are soon going belly-up.

Rafikiz was strategically located along Kenyatta Avenue just opposite the legendary Nyayo Gardens.

It was a popular joint for Nakuru’s finest who could not mind spending an arm and a leg on a single whiskey.

Known for its skimpily-dressed patrons, Rafikiz hit Nakuru with a bang.

But just like it shot up with speed, that is how it also closed down.

Club Rafikiz mainly attracted the middle class group between the ages of 25 to 40 thanks to their strict bouncers who did a good job of filtering.

It sat on two floors, along Nakuru's Kenyatta Avenue, each with well-stocked bars.

Just a few meters away there was club Samba.

The club had a flashy well-done interior with good lighting giving it a classy ambience.

The underground area catered for the younger age group while the upper area attracted a more mature crowd.

The curtains also fell for Sebs bar and restaurant, one of the most popular entertainment joints, in 2022.

But why are the clubs closing down?

According to James Mwamba who has been a club manager in various entertainment joints in Nakuru, poor management and generational change are to blame for closure of clubs.

"Change of generation greatly contributed to clubs shutting their doors. Most of the clubs, some that have been around for decades, have not been able to understand the new generation, which is totally a new market," says Mr Mwamba.

"The other reason clubs in Nakuru fall faster that they rise is poor management, "explains Mr Mwamba.

Clubs in Nakuru fall faster than managers at the football club Sunderland.

It has also been said that the main reason people flock to a particular club in Nakuru is because it is new, nothing else.

EMatara@ke.nationmedia.com.

Why Clubs in Nakuru Die

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Eric Matara