A troupe of acrobats has in the past few months been entertaining Nairobi motorists along different intersections around the city.
One such troupe is the Clan Acrobats, which has recently camped along Kenyatta Avenue and Uhuru Highway, entertaining commuters and pedestrians in Nairobi CBD.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Marvin, a representative of the Clan Acrobats said that they opted to go to the streets to showcase their talents after they lost clients as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
"Before Covid, we would do a lot of events such as birthdays and hotels. Clubs hired us and we were also doing weddings," he stated.
"But after the pandemic, the jobs weren't coming in at all so we decided to showcase our routines on the streets. We are people with families and we saw it better to put ourselves out there for people to enjoy and support us as well," he added.
Marvin added that they had no set road intersections as they move to different places attracting different crowds in the process.
To get a chance to perform for motorists at the traffic lights, they wait for the lights to turn red or when the vehicles are stopped by traffic police.
They have to time their performances with somersaults and human pyramids. Their routines also include props such as using a unicycle as well as juggling.
The acrobats also have a collecting bag for those who want to support them by giving them money for the risky but calculated moves.
He said that traffic police accommodate their art and do not restrict their performances as long as the team does not interfere with the smooth flow of traffic.
"At times city council askaris harass us but we don't call crowds to watch us, we just pop up and the people get entertained," he noted.
The acrobats have also partly benefited from the ongoing expansion of the Nairobi Expressway which has resulted in long hours in traffic jams for Nairobi motorists.
