5 peculiar things Kenyans do only at Christmas

Unplanned trips

This is the season where a ‘where are you’ message will take you to Naivasha or Mombasa with nothing on but sandals and sweatpants.

It is not unusual for a simple walk to the shop or supermarket to end up in another county. As they say, December is the month you need to be prepared for anything and sleep with a good outfit on, because you never know who might call or where the festivities will take you.

'Krisi Mombasa'

It seems as if there’s always an unspoken rule that people, mostly Nairobians must travel to the coast for Christmas.

Pirates Beach Mombasa ece-auto-gen

The coastal regions will be overflowing with people mostly people who are eager to visit the beach or the clubs. And these are the same people who will miraculously develop a Swahili accent once they are past Mtito Andei and start smelling the ocean.

Developing high standards in upcountry

This is the time when people from the city will demand to be treated differently when they visit their families upcountry.

Some people will pretend to have forgotten their mother tongues and the ladies will have magically forgotten to cook or claim that smoke from the stoned fire affects them.

Because of this difference, their families will be forced to treat them like politicians, cook them different meals from others, and also prepare a different toilet for them.

Kila mtu akona pombe?

Some Kenyans will vow not to drink again but then break their promise as soon as the festivities kick in.

And one thing about Kenyans is, no matter how tough things are, they’ll never lack money for alcohol.

In fact, when you get a call to show up somewhere, you barely have to worry if you have money because somehow, someone will pay for the alcohol.

Western people traveling with loads of furniture and animals

People from Western are known to travel heavily as if they’ll never come back to Nairobi again.

You’ll find sofas, jerricans, beds, plastic chairs, chicken and so much more bundled on the roof of a Mbukinya bus.

It is not yet clear whether they travel back with the items but traveling in such a state is usually chaotic. You’ll find yourself seated with a chicken underneath your seat or seated next to a woman with five children or someone who cannot open the window.