Twilight girls in Kiambu County and surrounding tea catchment counties are known to begin their Christmas festivities ahead of other people, but not this year.
This is because, from the month of October when tea bonus payments are paid, tea farmers from the rural areas stream to the neighbouring towns to 'wipe off' dust after a year of toil and hard work in the tea farms.
In fact, you will hear them say, "I cannot earn the money under the scorching sun and still spend it under it"'(ndingithukumira riuaini na ndire o riuaini')
While in town, where they literally take over, they will not only 'drown' themselves in booze, but also seek the services of sex workers whom they nowadays refer to as 'sweet food' ('tuirio twega')
As a result, the sex workers will be treated and pampered like queens while enjoying five-course meals, expensive booze and lots of money after rendering their then much sought after services or by robbing their rural naïve clients.
This year, however, visiting many Kiambu towns, you will realize a change of tune from the previous years as a time like this the 'great tea farmers festival' is usually on high gear while sex workers will be harvesting big time.
Below are some of the reasons why it is not business as usual for town sex workers this year.
1. Poor tea bonus pay
This is obviously the main reason why the annual 'tea farmers festival' has failed to kick-off leaving the urban sex workers with nowhere to reap big ahead of Christmas. The farmers failed to show up after the bonus pay came 'condensed' leaving them with nothing to spare for the yearly festival.
2. Economic downturn across the country
Wherever you go across the country, everyone you meet with is crying foul of how the economy has taken a toll on their pockets with no hope that things will get better any time soon. Kiambu is no exception.
As such, many tea farmers are cautious this year not to 'misspend' the little they have lest the 90-day-long 'Njaanuary' find them unarmed.
3. Changing trends among tea farmers
In recent years, there has been a heightened sensitization campaign urging tea farmers to make prudent use of the annual lumpsome payments on viable projects as opposed to spending the same in the senseless town festival.
This has seen the number of tea farmers attending the annual festival plummet, something that was worsened further this year by the prevailing economic situation.