Park and chill is a culture that started during Covid period, following government directives to close entertainment spots to contain the contagious disease, but it stuck around and is now threatening the survival of clubs and pubs.
Revellers have kept the culture alive citing it is pocket friendly compared to clubbing and is adventurous creating an exciting feel.
The growth of the park and chill culture is however a bane to clubs and pubs with some big outlets closing due to change of consumer behaviour.
The adventure seekers seem to discover new locations with each new day to go park and have a good time with a preference for green fields with scenic views. The newest spot is the Thogoto Interchange on the southern bypass.
“Apart from the natural scenery, this is very pocket friendly. I can get a bottle of Captain Morgan for Sh1,500 in a liquor store and I am sorted. That would have cost me about Sh2,500 in a club,” said Kevin Momanyi, a reveller at the Thogoto intersection.
Clubs have to factor the overhead costs associated with rent, labour, furniture, fittings, electricity and water in their pricing making their prices incomparable to liquor stores and supermarkets which seem to be thriving as consumer habits change.
In Gikambura, the nearest town to the interchange, there are several liquor shops which are stocked with expensive brands signalling to consumers being outsiders rather than the local residents.
In an interview with Business Daily, the owner of the recently closed Kentwood Address Runda on Kiambu Road, Alex Ndung’u, disclosed he was making a strategic exit from the club business due to trends he was observing in the market.
Mr Ndung’u noted clubs were being forced to create spectacles at great cost to lure patrons with some turning to hiring seat fillers to give the impression of being busy and attract clients looking for a fun crowd to hang out with.
At the Thogoto Interchange, what is a bare piece of land by the wayside on weekdays comes alive from Friday evening with music blazing from tens of cars parked with doors open to late Sunday night.
Cars of all makes start trickling to this open land that has nothing special to it but a good scenic view on Friday leaving most residents of Thogoto and Gikambura baffled as to what it is that attracts this mob.
I also struggle to comprehend the lure of the place; there are no facilities forcing one to drive to Gikambura in case of a long call while short calls are made in the bushes. As the evening kicks in it gets chilly but it brings in more people with it.
Members of the public park their vehicles and motorcycles at Thogoto interchange along Southern bypass on June 14, 2026.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
“I think it is one of those generational gap issues because unlike previous generations, we are not attached to a local pub, it’s the randomness that lures us,” says Samuel Mwaura, a reveller at the Thogoto Interchange.
“The scenery is good but the randomness of the place and the kind of people one gets to meet out here is refreshing,” he adds.
Mr Mwaura is sitting on a picnic chair at the corner of the field next to his pearl white SUV whose doors are open to let the blazing music fill the air around him.
He came alone, he tells me, for this is the time he uses to plan his week ahead. He notes that unlike in a club where a patron will be encouraged to drink at this bare place he can only take what he brought along before deciding to go back home when his head is still clear.
I however note there are some entrepreneurial young men hawking canned beer. This desire for randomness is what seems to pull the generation away from clubs and pubs.
Other popular sites for park and chill include Tigoni in Limuru and Ngong Road opposite Uchumi Supermarket. For the residents of Gikambura the new trend around their village is welcome as it opens new opportunities for them.
Njuguna, he is comfortable giving me one name, is grilling nyama choma under a tent with the meat aroma pulling clients to him. He has two staff to help him indicating it is a busy afternoon for him.
There is a young man selling boiled eggs, large fried potatoes spiced with kachumbari and coffee.
Across the intersection another person has opened a fast food joint seeking to capture those visiting the parking lot, who seem to remember to carry drinks but forget about food.
