When teachers controlled Kakamega town's heartbeat

Niko Atswenje is currently the owner of Karumaindo restaurant at Lurambi in Kakamega. The club was established early in 1960s. [ Benjamin Sakwa, Standard]

An assembly of bicycles outside Kakamega's popular entertainment joints in the 1970s through to 1990s meant only one thing: payday for teachers. In those days, bicycles were a status symbol owned mostly by senior teachers and civil servants.

A lot has changed since, so much that someone who last visited Kakamega town 15 years ago will hardly recognise it today.