After 43 years of operation, curtains have finally fallen on Octopus Club, the oldest entertainment facility in Kisumu’s red light district.
In its heydays, the club popularly known as Bottoms Up was the face of nightlife in the lakeside city.
Established in 1978 by three brothers, the doors to Octopus had only been closed once when the country’s first president Mzee Jomo Kenyatta passed on.
This was before twilight girls took over the place and heralded a new era for a club whose foundations were grounded on offering a buzzing disco experience in a bid to bring decency to the city’s night scene.
It was frequented by who is who in the region. Patrons spent a fortune to enjoy the unrivalled entertainment it offered as international artists and Congolese bands pitched tent to entertain locals.
Back then, a visit to Kisumu would be incomplete without stopping at Bottoms Up club and it was a like a paradise for those who love steamy and sordid things.
Top government officials, diplomats, wealthy businessmen, sportsmen and celebrities, who happened to be in the lakeside city, would not leave without sampling a taste of nightlife at the Octopus Club.
The twilight girls readily offered company, comfort and sweet endings to boot to its wealthy and hungry men who thronged the joint be it for booze or entertainment.
The club had one of the best sound systems in Nyanza and was home of some of the region’s top DJs. The design was one of the most attractive architecture that lured customers of all kind.
And to spice up its ambience, the club installed disco dim lights, the first in the region, which attracted even more customers. It was said, sweet things happen in darkness and it was here that high class and powerful State officials would hide from paparazzi.
The place had an array of beauties that one would sample and it was turned into a one-stop shop for those interested in shagging and enjoying the company of the twilight girls.