'No drinking until 5pm': New rule leaves Kajiado residents fighting 'almighty thirst'

Revellers in Kajiado are facing a new and unexpected challenge: they can't have a quiet drink until the clock hits 5 pm. It's like waiting for the bell to ring at school!

Imagine this: it's lunchtime on a Friday in Kitengela town, but the streets are empty, quiet.

Normally, you would see people enjoying drinks, and nyama choma, but not in the past few days as bars and nightclubs follow recent government directives. 

The situation is the same in Kiserian, Isinya, Rongai and Ngong towns.  Everyone is waiting for the clock to strike 5 pm, so they can finally have their favourite alcoholic beverage. As the time gets closer, you can feel the excitement building. 

People keep checking their watches, counting down the minutes. When it finally strikes 5pm, it's like a curtain rises on a hilarious stage production—people sprinting to the bars as if they've been parched in a desert, creating the image of thirsty cows stampeding towards a river. 

Inside most bars, it's buzzing with energy. The bartenders are working hard, pouring drinks as fast as they can before the 11pm deadline of selling alcohol.

The people of Kajiado are making the best of every second, enjoying drinks and fun time with friends. 

As the midnight approaches – the story changes. The pomp is quickly replaced with eerie silence.

A few bold revellers remain holed up in their favourite joints way past 11pm – imbibing in silence. No music, no lights on, no making noise. Just sipping alcohol silently in the dark amid whispers. 

It's a scene reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic days -- where people had to sneak into pubs to enjoy simple pleasures. Residents maintain that despite the occasional tension here and there, the mood remains light-hearted.

There's a sense of camaraderie among those who dare to bend the rules, a shared understanding that sometimes you just have to seize the moment and enjoy life's little pleasures.