Nanyuki synonymous with coffee shops, soldiers and dust

If there is a town in Kenya that reminds anyone of America’s wild west two centuries ago, it is Nanyuki.

After a 45-minute drive from Marua junction in Nyeri, the landscape begins to change.

The lush greenery slowly gives way to dry land vegetation like cactus. As you approach Nanyuki, the land becomes flat. It springs to life again with indigenous plants past Naro Moru town.

Nanyuki is a resort town that opens up to the greater Laikipia areas, famed for wildlife conservancies. It is a dusty town that deceptively appears sleepy.

Walking around the town, you will not fail to notice women with faces discoloured by wind-burn. This is due to the cold leeward wind that blows at night after a hot day. The wind blows from Mt Kenya to the Aberdare ranges in Nyandarua. You will therefore be surprised at how chilly it gets immediately the sun goes down.

Famously known as the end of the railway, Nanyuki Town has its fair share of nightlife, perhaps rivalled only by Mombasa and Naivasha.

Pubs and butcheries are many, so are commercial sex workers and their clients. The presence of the British Army Training Unit soldiers has changed the fortunes of the town over the years. They have been here since the early 1970s.

No longer housed at the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) showground, they have to find accommodation within the town or its outskirts.

This has led to skyrocketing of rent. It is not out of the ordinary to find a three-bedroom house attracting a monthly rent of Sh45,000.
It is believed the cost of living in Nanyuki is at par with that of Nairobi.

The town’s skyline got a facelift with construction of the Nanyuki Mall which houses Nakumatt supermarket, travel agencies, high-end salons and, at one point, a pet shop.

SECURITY

The town’s Central Business District has, in recent years, become as bustling as River Road in Nairobi. This is in stark contrast to the way it used to be; well organised with quiet country lanes - a legacy from its colonial past when it started as an outpost in 1907.

Surprisingly, one of Kenya’s biggest slums, Majengo is found here.

The presence of the Kenya Defence Forces battalion makes Nanyuki one of the most secure towns in the country.

An eclectic mix of communities gives Nanyuki a strong cosmopolitan feel. There are Kikuyus, Ameru, Luos, Boranas, Luhyas, Kambas, Asians, Europeans as well as other communities.

Some British soldiers like it so much here that they return and settle for good after their military careers. A new crop of white Zimbabweans has settled here, leading to the formation of three groups of Europeans: the old colonial generation settlers and Kenyan cowboys, white Zimbabweans and the newly acclimatised ex-soldiers.

It is one of the few upcountry towns that have a Dorman’s coffee house branch. Other cafes and restaurants that make you forget you are upcountry include the food court at the mall area and the settlers’ meeting point — the Cape Chestnut.

It is the settlers’ last frontier as they move away from Nairobi. Land Rovers and beautiful “bush homes” abound. These homes double up as private tourist dwelling places.

Some of the finest hotels in the world are found nearby, notably the Mt Kenya Safari Club, Sweetwaters and Adnan Khashoggi’s former home at Ol Pejeta.

During weekends, there is an influx of revellers from all over Mt Kenya region. This is the town where people from more conservative towns such as Nyeri, Kerugoya, Meru and Karatina flock to let their hair down and “break a leg”.

Nyama choma joints record roaring business and it is difficult to find accommodation when the revellers hit the town.