Joy as Kisumu Residents Ring in the New Year

 Kisumu residents ushered in the New Year with a lively mix of celebration, reflection and prayer, as thousands poured into the streets, churches and entertainment spots to welcome 2026.

As the clock struck midnight, the central business district burst into life, with flashing lights, blaring music and spontaneous dance filling the air. Fireworks lit up the night sky as excited crowds gathered along Oginga Odinga Street, Jomo Kenyatta Highway and the lakeside precincts, cheering and exchanging New Year wishes.

Young people danced in groups as motorists hooted in celebration, while families and friends embraced to mark the end of 2025 with optimism and renewed hope. Beachside entertainment spots were packed, with revellers braving the chilly lakeside breeze to celebrate the crossover into the new year.

Popular entertainment joints across the city remained busy into the early hours, with music playing late and street vendors cashing in on the large crowds by selling snacks and refreshments.

Away from the revelry, hundreds of residents opted for a more solemn and reflective start to the year, thronging churches across the city for overnight crossover services. From the Catholic Diocese of Kisumu to evangelical churches in Nyalenda, Manyatta and Kondele, worshippers prayed through the night, seeking peace, good health and economic stability in the year ahead.

Clergy used the occasion to urge congregants to embrace unity, discipline and hard work as the county stepped into a new chapter.

In his New Year message, Kisumu Governor Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o praised residents for their resilience and unity throughout 2025, noting that despite economic, climate and resource challenges, the county had made steady progress in infrastructure development, healthcare and education.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to serving residents with dedication and integrity in 2026, calling on citizens to renew their sense of duty and shared responsibility.

“Our progress as a county depends on discipline, hard work and collective effort,” he said, adding that the county government would continue to prioritise sustainable development, job creation, environmental protection and inclusive growth.

He also wished pupils and students success as schools reopen on Monday, thanking parents, guardians and teachers for their role in shaping the future through education.

By dawn, calm gradually returned to the city as revellers dispersed and street cleaners moved in to clear the remnants of the night’s celebrations.

For many residents, the New Year festivities went beyond fireworks, music and dance, symbolising renewed hope and confidence that 2026 will be a year of opportunity, dignity and shared prosperity for Kisumu.