The sixth edition of the WRC Safari Rally came to an end last Sunday, but residents of Naivasha are still shocked by some of the antics they witnessed in those few days.

Binge-drinking, group sex, drunkenness, careless driving, overlapping and drink-spiking (not necessarily in that order) were the order of the day for the rally weekend in ‘Vasha’.

Locals were left mouths agape as the so-called Nairobi-boys took over social places with bars running out of liquor and condoms, thanks to the thirsty and randy visitors.

The so-called ‘mchele-babes’, best known for drink-spiking, were not left behind.

The so-called ‘rally madness’ was ferried to the lakeside in the name of pimped matatus, hooting cars (most hired), youths riding on cars’ rooftops and roaring motorbikes.

The heavy rains that have been pounding the town for the last couple of days did not deter the rally fanatics, with clubs and hotels overflowing with visitors.

Transport along major roads was paralysed for hours as overlapping drivers and overexcited motorcycle riders tried to outdo each other after watching the rally drivers push their cars to the limit.

For Saturday and Sunday, traders recorded booming business with food, alcohol and rooms completely sold out to the revellers, some of whom had travelled from far and wide.

For the three days, decorum and morality were thrown out of the window and replaced with immortality as drunkenness and sex became the new hobbies in the town.

Cases of petty crime, which included the stealing of phones mainly along Moi South Lake road, were high despite the presence of armed police officers.

The peak of the day was on Sunday, when all roads led to Hell’s Gate National Park, where the rally was winding up with thousands flocking to the world-renowned park.

For more than 12 hours, tens of motorists were stuck along Moi South Lake road and inside the park, eager to record the global event that was graced by President William Ruto.

And as sanity returned on the roads on Monday morning, six youths were reported dead after they were involved in different accidents.

John Kinuthia, the Chairman of the Naivasha GBV cluster group, termed the immortality during the weekend as worrying.

“The levels of madness we witnessed in this town during that weekend are worrying and unforgettable, with minors as young as 16 openly engaging in sex,” he said.

He said binge-drinking, unprotected sex and fights marred what would have been one of the most remarkable rallies.

However, he said, traders in and around the lakeside town left a happy lot thanks to the generosity of the visitors.

“Traders have really suffered due to the harsh economic times, but the rally came at the right time, and for a long time we have recorded positive sales,” he said.

“All the social places in Naivasha recorded full bookings, traders made a killing, youths got jobs, but unfortunately, immorality took the centre stage,” he said.

A trader, Simon Kuria, was all smiles, saying he recorded good sales between Friday and Sunday when the revellers arrived for the final day of the rally.

“For the last two years, business has really been down, affecting our sales, but the rally weekend has helped us recoup some of our losses,” said Kuria, who runs a hotel and butchery.

But as the traders were making a killing, scores of rally lovers trooped to Naivasha police to report either phone theft or drink-spiking.

Naivasha DCIO Isaac Kiama said more than 20 cases of theft and drink-spiking, popularly known as ‘mchele’, were reported on the first day, with more expected.

“In one of the social places, three men were found comatose at three different tables and could not explain what had happened,” he said.

Kiama was, however, quick to note that due to improved security and planning, there were minimal cases of mugging and car break-ins, as was the norm in the past events.

“We noticed an increase in cases of mobile phone theft mainly on Saturday night along major roads when we had major traffic jams,” he said.

According to Naivasha Deputy County Commissioner Josiah Odongo, the town recorded a big number of local and international visitors.

He attributed the traffic snarl-up to impatient drivers, adding that security officers had done well despite the high numbers of visitors and revellers.

 “For the first time in Naivasha’s history, we had a traffic jam caused by motorcycle operators, and as many as four were riding on one bike, exposing them to accidents,” he said.