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Here is how to spot a Nairobian in Mombasa


This must be a riddle to everyone who has gone to Mombasa and wondered how the locals are able to tell whether you are a resident or not. Here are the easy giveaways that tell you are from Nairobi.

1. The sweat drenched guy – Any first timer in Mombasa, especially one from Nairobi, will immediately be identified by the locals by the way they sweat profusely in the scorching Mombasa heat. Most guys look like they have come from the gym and usually spot a thick hand towel that they use as handkerchiefs to wipe away some of the sweat. This is a quick giveaway that says you are not a local since most of the residents are used to the heat that it does not affect them to levels of sweating profusely.

2. Man who walks into a club wearing a vest – Mombasa might be a furnace by day, but during the night it becomes rather cool with a lot of sea breeze. Never mind this, the typical Nairobian will quite often show up at the club only in a vest. The Nairobian also loves moving around in a rented car, probably accompanied by his buddies from Nairobi. Be it at the club, shopping mall or at the beach, they will always be the loudest group.

3. You’ll find them in the club at 7am – It is not that Mombasa revelers don’t party till the dawn. Most residents simply don’t like being caught out early morning coming from a rave with bloodshot eyes and looking a little dazed while trying to find their way home when everyone else is rushing to go to work and housewives are buying Mahamri and Mbaazi at the road side for breakfast. However, if you happen to be passing by a club especially, during December holidays, you won’t miss that group of individuals, probably at the bar sipping booze with one of them passed out on the table. Those will certainly be Nairobians. And yes, the guys will be in vests.

4. Taking selfies every minute – Nairobians like photographing every second of their lives especially if on a road trip. Nyali business center and City Mall on the Mombasa Malindi highway is the best place to scout these ‘foreigners’. They will take pictures while shopping inside a supermarket, on the parking lot or at Mama Ngina drive where they go the extra mile and record a video of a ship that is on its way to the Mombasa port.

5. At the beach – While on a stroll at the beach on the weekend in Mombasa you won’t miss to see family’s together having a swim in the ocean albeit not wearing a two piece swim suit, the ladies usually wear an oversized t-shirts with a skinny-tight and some even throw a long skirt on top. Spotting a lady wearing a two piece is very rare and woe unto you if you do so and the local idlers at the beach sniff you to be a resident; the name calling, jokes and jeers will be enough embarrassment for you. However, Nairobians, who are not accustomed to the ways of the coastal city will be forgiven for going to the beach in bikinis and other forms of revealing swimming costumes.

6. Using cutlery in Swahili restaurants – Almost all Swahili dishes are eaten by hand. This is done neatly, not like toddlers who will splatter food all over the place. Biryani, Pilau are just some of the common dishes that any Nairobians in Mombasa must sample. However, your typical Nairobian will still ask for cutlery in a city where eating by hand is the tradition.