How Nairobi lost its showbiz cool

Leakey Odera, CEO of Pambazuka Entertainment agrees that there has been a major shift when it comes to events hosting.

He attributes this partly to the devolution system of government where some counties have deliberately focused on the creative economy as the fastest way of popularising themselves and promoting local tourism.

"Some even waived levy payments when it came to hosting events or shooting films and this became quite attractive leaving Nairobi out of the picture. It is now that Nairobi is waking up to this reality and as much as it is not too late, the city will have to work hard to restore its image as an entertainment destination," Leakey says.

For the last two years, the beauty pageantry and modeling star search champion have centralised most of his operations in Nakuru.

Miss Chili's beauty pageant and The Face of Nakuru beauty pageant are two of the many projects Leakey has held here.

Top artistes such as Juacali, Mejja, Khaligraph Jones, and Mr Nice have headlined his shows.

"As the newest city in the country, you will expect a lot of activity here, with double the effort you will witness in Nairobi or any other place. They have even declared this the creative city of Kenya so technically, showbiz is already a mindset here - both among creatives and investors," says Leakey.

A year ago, Nakuru was listed among the new creative cities of the world - under Unesco's Creative Cities Network (UCCN).

Nakuru is one of the most vibrant urban areas at night. This is also driven by the many young people who make up a good size of the population, thanks to the universities and other institutions of higher learning here.

Some artistes, among them actor Nice Githinji, have already relocated to Nakuru where creative centres such as the recently launched Njoki Karuoya Creative and Media Centre opened their doors to creatives.

In Machakos, Machawood, was mandated to champion all music, and the art functions created a major buzz about six years ago.

Major events such as the annual Machakos End of the Year Extravaganza, the Uhai Festival, Machakos Film Festival as well as the Machakos Cycling Championship put the county on the events map.

Its proximity to the city was a positive as fun lovers could easily make road trips to and from.

"When you look at recent years, the events that have had the biggest hype have not been held in Nairobi. Let us start with the Masaku 7s that made a major impact in terms of shifting the focus towards Machakos," says Cecilia Muturi, an events organiser and strategist.

Event venue prices as well as the artistes rate cards artistes use for an event in Nairobi are also much higher than in other areas.

"Many people have also discovered that the same amount you spent in these exorbitantly priced Nairobi lounges and other entertainment spots is the same you would spend on a more gratifying road trip, say to Nakuru or Machakos and back. Why should I pay Sh2,500 for a ticket for a concert in Nairobi, to see the same artistes I have been seeing every week if I can use the same to drive to Nakuru for a weekend getaway with my peeps?" she poses.

"It takes a lot of logistical issues to host a good extravaganza in Nairobi. The costs involved are ridiculous and hardly can one make any profits. It is easier and even cheaper holding concerts in towns out of the capital city," Leakey says.

A group of events promoters is planning a major New Year concert in the Coast that will see concert tours hosted in Watamu, Malindi, and Mombasa.

Already, two top international artistes have been approached and confirmed their availability.

A number of counties are working to host New Year festivals.