I have been to Nairobi at least 10 times before, but every trip across our eastern border comes with a new tinge of excitement.

Travelling with a select team from the recent Copa Coca Cola schools’ tournament won by Jinja SS, I am in for another round of fun-filled adventure, spending four days in the capital of East Africa’s largest economy.

15-hour drive

On May 24, I wake up at 5am and ready myself to meet up with the others for the road trip. Aboard Easy Coach bus, we set off from Kampala at 6:30am and reach the border at Busia within four and a half hours.

From Busia we reach Kisumu town by 2pm, in time for lunch. In Kisumu – a fast-growing, but dusty ‘city’ – the driver gives us just 10 minutes to grab some refreshments before he takes off.

I grab myself fried chicken and boiled rice before returning to my seat, ready for the next phase of our journey. Unlike Uganda, in Kenya the bus stops at every major town for security checks. We use the stops to take bathroom breaks at KShs 10 (Shs 350).

At around 4:30pm, we arrive in Kericho town, the home of tea-growers. After ten hours on the road, I am already exhausted.  I ask someone the distance between Kericho and Nairobi and I am told it is about 300km, causing panic chills to run down my spine.

Soon, we are back on the road, sailing through the smooth Kenyan roads and by 9pm, we are in Nairobi, welcomed by our hosts, Upper Hill School. The football team boards the Upper Hill bus to the school campus, while two officials and I find accommodation at the modest Jefferson hotel, along Mafgano lane, near the bus terminal.

After securing my room, I move downstairs to locate any pubs. This being Kenya, Tusker Lager is in abundance, but not Bell Lager, my favourite brand.

I grab myself a Tusker as the DJ plays Kenyan and Ugandan music – especially Jose Chameleone. At around midnight, I hobble back to my hotel and sleep in anticipation of a busy day tomorrow that includes a football match with our hosts.

HUMBLE DEFEAT

In the morning I join my colleagues for a heavy breakfast in the hotel cafeteria. At about 10am, we take a cab to Upper Hill School to check on the boys and prepare for the afternoon game.

The affluent school is situated in Nairobi’s equivalent of Kololo, and we can only access it by cab. Unlike in Uganda where schools rarely provide milk tea (African tea), at Upper Hill and other schools here, there are huge teapots with African tea on tap from morning till evening, with students enjoying it for free, accompanied by doughnuts.

The food menu is also lavish and students can be seen with their mobile phones converging on certain spots to tap free WiFi from neighbouring buildings. At 4:30pm, the match kicks off and our boys trail 0-3 in the opening 15 minutes, but manage not concede any more goals, although they do not score either.

After that humbling defeat, my friend Greggy Walusimbi suggests we hit the famous Pronto nyama choma joint a few metres from the school. By 7:30pm, we are placing an order of a roasted goat thigh with ugali (posho), at KShs 1,200 (Shs 42,000).

As we wait for our nyama choma, we enter the bar and help ourselves to warm Tuskers and music videos on big screens. An hour later, the nyama choma arrives on a wooden platter and the chef cuts it up.

It is a sumptuous meal and we ‘wash it down’ till late in the night before retiring back to our hotel. At the hotel, I check into last night’s kafunda for ‘one for the road’ and I am surprised that public smoking is okay in this place frequented mostly by young boys and girls.

We set off early the following day for Upper Hill School to join the team for a city tour. Being sportsmen, we start with Nyayo national stadium before going to Kasarani stadium.

We continue to the national museum and other sites around Nairobi, driving behind the sprawling Kibera slum, to the presidential lodge.

KENYANS BRING THE PARTY ON

We head to Upper Hill School to watch the Kenyan version of Copa Coca Cola district qualifiers, before we are treated to a small party of nyama choma and sodas by our hosts.

At 5pm we head back to Pronto, where Tuskers and live music from a local Congolese band flow. Four ladies sit next to our table and order for a roasted goat’s thigh and a bottle of Black Label! A few hours later, they drunkenly wriggle their waists to the music from the band.

The band performs during daytime to cater for those who can’t stay out late. On this day, Chelsea fans are holding a Premier League victory party at the same venue and tell you what; Kenyans know how to party.

They dance, shout and drink, as we just sit on the sidelines and marvel at the spectacle. Even as their team unexpectedly loses to Arsenal in the FA Cup final this very day, this does not stop them from partying till late.

I am at the Easy Bus park at 6:30am on Sunday, ready for the long journey home.

It is political season as presidential elections are set for August 2017, and that talk is in high gear. 

As the bus sets off for Kampala, I sleep off a heavy hangover; my last thoughts are on how the Nairobi skyline has really changed since I was last here. I wake up at Busia. Kwaheri, Nairobi. Till next time!