Artists, Residents Seek Reopening Of Nakuru Players Theatre

By Our Correspondent

Residents and artists have petitioned the County Assembly of Nakuru to save the 72-year-old Nakuru Players Theatre, calling for urgent intervention after its prolonged closure disrupted creative and cultural activity.

The petition, led by youths and arts advocate Engineer Evans Kimori, calls for County Government of Nakuru action to reopen and renovate the facility for the benefit of youths and local artists.

Petitioners want the Assembly to pave way for the County to enter into a memorandum of understanding with theatre management to secure access, preservation, and structured use for public cultural purposes.

They argue the theatre remains a critical asset whose continued closure undermines Nakuru County’s creative economy, cultural heritage, and opportunities for young performers.

Founded in 1954, the theatre is among Kenya’s oldest community performance spaces, hosting drama, music, dance, poetry, and school set-book productions for decades.

Over the years, it became a training ground for generations of actors, directors, technicians, and writers, many of whom later joined national and regional creative industries.

The theatre is a members-owned organisation run through a society known as the Nakuru Players Theatre Club and has historically been managed by a board and trustees and volunteer leadership.

However, leadership wrangles within the management have repeatedly disrupted operations, occasionally forcing temporary closures and weakening confidence among artists and supporting institutions.

“We are deeply concerned about the prolonged closure of the Nakuru Players Theatre, a historic cultural landmark,” stated Engineer Kimori, in his petition, while warned of cultural loss.

He said the shutdown had tangible economic effects and noted that higher operational costs had hurt artistes, technicians, and other stakeholders who rely on theatre activities for their livelihoods.

Artists say the lack of an affordable central venue has forced groups to scale down or abandon productions, while youth actors, dancers, and digital creators lost a safe creative hub, fuelling crime and other social vices.

Students have also been affected, missing opportunities for live theatre learning and prescribed literature performances that form part of Kenya’s education curriculum.

The petition further highlights risks to archival materials stored at the theatre, including photographs, props, costumes, and records documenting Nakuru’s cultural history.

“Prolonged neglect could permanently damage these irreplaceable assets, erasing a visual and material record of the town’s artistic evolution,” the petitioners warned.

Petitioners also called for inclusive stakeholder engagement with artists, community representatives, and national heritage bodies, while urging the county assembly to approve partnerships, set renovation timelines, allocate budgets, and enforce oversight to ensure reopening.