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If you have ever told someone 'tukutane kwa clock' or 'drop me off kwa City Clock', you’ve unknowingly interacted with one of Nairobi’s most enduring business models.
The four-sided clocks that dot prime corners of the CBD according to TikToker content publisher Just Katalina are not county gadgets or municipal decorations.
They are the work of CityClock, an advertising company that has turned timekeeping into a profitable advertising venture for more than 35 years.
From landmark to business model
Currently managed by Rehanah Mohammed, CityClock was first set up in Kenya in 1984 and has since expanded regionally to Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.
A city clock in Nairobi
The model is deceptively simple: CityClock negotiates with city authorities for space, installs a six-metre, four-faced solar-powered clock, and then rents out the advertising panels.
The clocks are strategically placed at high-traffic junctions like Moi Avenue, Haille Sellaie Avenue, Kenyatta Avenue, Wabera Street and City Hall Way, doubling up as both landmarks and meeting points.
Outside Nairobi, the clocks are also in other towns such as Kitengela, Nyeri, Meru, Eldoret, Thika, Machakos among others.
Zero cost for the city, big value for brands
For Nairobi County, the deal is simple, the city gets a functioning landmark, street lighting, and a touch of civic branding at zero capital expenditure.
For advertisers, the clocks deliver round-the-clock visibility, with backlit panels that glow at night and weather-proof frames built to withstand Nairobi’s ever-changing seasons.
Fighting for their look
With visibility comes imitation. CityClock has had to defend its design and trademarks.
The company guards its signature four-faced design fiercely, knowing the street is their ultimate showroom.
A city clock
Today, City Clock has entered Nairobi’s vocabulary as shorthand for a central, reliable meeting point a private business that became public mental furniture and a civic landmark almost by accident.
Here is an explainer by content creator JustKatalina.