Have you ever wondered why it is so easy for a Nakuru local to spot a visitor or someone new to town?

Well, apart from the obvious flashy dress code and loud conversations that most visitors usually exhibit, there are a number of other things that people do that scream 'new to the area'.

But if you have always wanted to blend in and be able to tell who is a local, I am here to give you the upper hand.

The secret is in the way they pronounce their words. When communicating with someone, it's very easy to tell where they're from, what area they're from, or even what tribe they're from.

Each section of society has a unique sound and pronunciation of words when they speak, which helps people to socialise or even identify with something more.

In Nakuru, we have our own way of doing things and even speaking, and that's what makes us, as rapper Mejja says, 'pia sisi tuko na tabia zetu'.

In Nakuru, locals tend to pronounce their words slowly, especially estates and people's names. They tend to emphasise the last syllables of each word.

When asked why, most people say that they found people speak with this unique intonation, even the elders tend to pronounce and speak the same way.

One of the things most people from Nakuru tend to do is not call the estates by their full names, one cant tell whether it's laziness or they just love it.

You will find a significant number of people calling a place like Langalanga 'langaa', Barnabas 'Barnaa', Pondamali 'Pondaa' and the same goes for people's names.

When it comes to speaking Sheng, Nakuru has seen a battle between the new breed of Sheng and the old breed.

Don't be surprised if you hear someone say 'finje' for fifty shillings or even 'super' for beautiful.

Sounds like something you heard growing up for those who are not in the Gen Z category, right? Well, don't be surprised to hear it when you visit Nakuru.

As a very conservative and religious town, it is almost taboo to have 'sherehe' (parties) as the focus of your conversation, as you will be seen as an outcast, especially if you are an avid party-goer.

Not only will you be treated as an outcast, but you'll also be seen as a person who doesn't take life seriously and needs to be saved - a situation that wouldn't happen if you were having the conversation with your fellow 'outcasts'.

So now you know, next time you are in Nakuru look out for the above signs.

mercykihugu@gmail.com

Why all Nakuru locals have this one character

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Mercy Kihugu