Nakuru's poetry enthusiasts turned up in numbers on Friday evening for the fifth edition of Poetraits, an open-mic event that brought together emerging and established poets for an evening of spoken word, music and storytelling.

Scheduled to begin at 5pm, the event thought together new entrants and familiar faces in Nakuru's poetry scene, with curtain-raiser performances setting the pace ahead of the headline act.

Although the performances explored different subjects, one recurring theme throughout the evening was the celebration and recognition of women, with several poets using their sets to pay tribute to women and reflect on their experiences.

The much-anticipated appearance was that of GuFy Dox, who made a return to the event as the headline performer.

GuFy took to the stage at around 6.45pm and performed until approximately 7.30pm, taking the audience through a selection of pieces from his different albums.

The 43rd Slam Africa champion, who has four albums to his name and 11 years of professional poetry performance, moved between different subjects, with pieces addressing women, men, love, relationships and the government.

His performance was particularly engaging because of the conversational approach he adopted. Rather than simply reciting one piece after another, he interacted with the audience between performances, drawing them into the stories and ideas behind his work.

Among his pieces were Look at Me, All Metaphors for You, Soft Soul Girl, and Black Boy Joy, with his final act being Love and How It Comes.

Composed and confident in his craft, he gave the set a wide variety of perspectives, keeping the audience completely eating out of his hand.

The room shifted effortlessly between moments of pin-drop silence during his raw, intimate delivery, and vibrant engagement as the crowd connected with every word.

His appearance also came with a promise of a bigger return, with the artist hinting at plans to bring a full show to Nakuru in the coming months.

Just Friends performing at the fifth edition of Poetraits at Baraza Media Lab

Photo credit: LELETI JASSOR/MTAA WANGU

Music was also part of the evening's programme, with a performance from Just Friends, alongside other stories with guitarist Two Tea, adding a different rhythm to the spoken-word performances.

The turnout could be described as encouraging, with the venue filling up for an event that continues to provide a platform for live poetry in Nakuru.

Poetraits has created an opportunity for poets to meet, perform and connect with audiences, while giving upcoming artists a chance to share the stage with more established performers.

Looking ahead, the organisers hope to continue featuring major artists in the country as headliners in subsequent editions, while retaining the open-mic format that gives emerging performers room to grow.

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