Nairobi’s street acrobats turn gridlock into a stage
In Nairobi, acrobatic troupes perform at traffic lights for tips, turning daily gridlock into an income source for unemployed youth.
At a busy Nairobi intersection, as the traffic light turns red, a young man in leopard print leaps into the road and begins a series of somersaults. Five others, similarly dressed, join him in a coordinated routine of flips and stunts. One breaks away, juggling woven hats, and walks from car to car, holding out his hat for tips before the light turns green again.
These street acrobats first appeared in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have since become a familiar sight at traffic stops across the Kenyan capital. For many, performing for motorists is their primary source of income in a city where formal jobs are scarce.
Mohammed Nyale, 22, left his home on the coast with dreams of a stage career. “I have always loved acrobatics since I started performing at 15 years old,” he says. His group rehearses each morning in an abandoned field in Kawangware, a low-income neighbourhood, before moving to the streets as rush-hour traffic builds. “We say a prayer before changing into our costumes,” Nyale adds.
The performers usually work until noon, collecting small tips—often no more than 50 shillings (about 40 US cents). Since many Kenyans use mobile wallets, the acrobats hand out slips of paper with their phone numbers for digital tips. On a good day, each may earn around $6, roughly the daily wage of a casual labourer in construction or agriculture. Youth unemployment in Kenya stood between 4.9% and 9.9% in 2024, according to official figures.
“It is what enables us to live in Nairobi because we moved here from quite far and no one is helping us to pay rent,” Nyale says.
Other troupes have formed across the city. On Lang'ata Road, 28-year-old Jackson Okoth performs with his group. “There are no opportunities for us that we can go to, so we like it when we are here because it keeps us busy and it keeps us fit also,” he says. “Instead of staying at home and doing reckless things, we decided to come here and perform for motorists and pedestrians.” Okoth dreams of joining a professional circus and touring the world. “I am still on my way, I am still trying, I am still working hard so that one day things might go well and I may find myself in Europe performing in a circus show,” he says.
Reactions from motorists are mixed. Some see the acrobats as a nuisance, but others welcome the distraction. Geoffrey Kioi, a Nairobi entrepreneur, regularly tips them. “They are a source of entertainment here on the road. They entertain us and we feel good,” he says. “They are young people. They need to hustle. They are like my sons.”