For many Kenyans, the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams are memories best left in the past.

They bring back images of sleepless nights, endless revision, strict invigilators and the crushing pressure of examinations that seemed to determine the rest of your life.

So why would anyone willingly sit another paper? Because, it turns out, doing maths after a cocktail is surprisingly entertaining. Across Kenya—and now among Kenyan communities abroad—exam-themed trivia nights inspired by the country's school system are turning one of life's most stressful experiences into an enjoyable social event. However, instead of report cards and rankings, there are playlists packed with throwback hits, laughter over forgotten Kiswahili methali, friendly arguments about long-forgotten science facts and prizes ranging from bottles of whiskey to tequila.

One of the people behind taking the concept overseas is Nicholas Njomo Kamau, a medical professional working with the UK's National Health Service (NHS). While following social events organised by Nairobi-based creative community Qwani, he noticed the exam-themed hangouts were drawing enthusiastic crowds back home.

Nicholas Njomo Kamau, an NHS medical professional, says he was inspired by similar events in Kenya to start KCPE and KCSE-themed hangouts in the UK to bring the Kenyan community together.

Photo credit: Pool

"I saw them doing the hangouts in Kenya, and I got inspired to do it over here because there's a very big Kenyan community," he says. "I thought I'd try it and see whether it would work. So far, it's been really good."

Today, the UK edition is in its third instalment at Vaha Lounge in Northampton. Participants are divided into teams and work through light-hearted versions of KCPE and KCSE questions covering Mathematics, English, Kiswahili, Science and Social Studies. There is no pressure to score highly. In fact, getting the answers hilariously wrong is often part of the fun.

According to Njomo, KCPE and KCSE exams provide the perfect theme because they are among the few experiences almost every Kenyan shares, regardless of age, profession or background.

"We've all gone through it," he says.

What started as a casual social event has gradually evolved into something much bigger. Regular attendees have formed friendships, joined WhatsApp groups and stayed connected long after the trivia nights end.

"The community aspect has surprised us," Njomo says. "People keep coming back."

The prizes certainly add to the excitement, but they are rarely the main attraction. The real reward lies in reliving childhood memories—remembering impossible mathematics questions, favourite teachers, school rivalries and the stories that still make classmates laugh years later. Most attendees are Gen Zs and millennials aged between 19 and 35 who have lived in Britain for several years. Yet the events have also attracted older Kenyans who simply want to revisit a familiar chapter of their lives.

"The most memorable thing has been seeing people outside our age group wanting to participate and actually enjoying it," Njomo says. "It breaks that age barrier. It's really for anyone."

The concept has even drawn curious non-Kenyans. Friends, colleagues and partners often attend to see what all the excitement is about. They may not know the answers, but they quickly become immersed in the competitive banter and the unmistakably Kenyan atmosphere. Despite taking place thousands of kilometres from home, the evenings feel remarkably familiar. Conversations switch effortlessly between English, Kiswahili and Sheng.

"Seeing people get drunk and do mathematics is like a science experiment; I don’t quite have the words to describe it," Njomo laughs.

As the trivia winds down, the night often transforms into a full throwback party. Platefuls of Kenyan food such as ugali, nyama choma, pilau and kienyeji vegetables are shared across tables and throwback hits dominate the playlist, transporting revellers back to school discos, matatu rides and teenage weekends.

"We usually get Kenyan DJs to play proper throwback songs," he says. "People relive moments like the Gengetone era."

The gatherings have also become an opportunity to support businesses within the Kenyan diaspora, with restaurants, DJs and entertainment venues collaborating to host the events. And interest has spread well beyond Northampton.

"I've had people from Bristol, Portsmouth and even Australia asking whether I'd help organise similar events there," Njomo says.

For Lynn Saina, a student nurse in the UK who enters her final year in September, the appeal goes beyond nostalgia.

"The idea first came from my friend Njomo," she says. "He suggested bringing Qwani Nairobi to the UK. We thought, why not try it? The first event was such a success that we kept hosting more."

Living abroad inevitably comes with moments of homesickness, and Saina says the trivia nights offer something many Kenyans miss: the feeling of being surrounded by people who instantly understand the same cultural references.

Lynn Saina, a student nurse in the UK, says the KCPE and KCSE-themed hangouts recreate a sense of home while helping her build friendships and a support system in the diaspora.

Photo credit: Pool

"I'd say the laughter and the joy stand out the most," she says. "It's amazing how quickly a room full of strangers turns into a loud and joyful family. Personally, it makes me feel close to home."

The evenings are competitive, but never too serious. "Imagine seeing a group of adults arguing over a simple maths question and then laughing at themselves because the nostalgia has kicked in," she says. The diversity of the crowd is part of the attraction. Students mingle with doctors, engineers, parents, recent arrivals and long-term residents. Some have only lived in Britain for months, while others have built lives there over decades. The one thing they all have in common is surviving Kenya's education system. Even those who never experienced it first-hand find themselves fascinated.

"Their reaction is usually curiosity because the Kenyan 8-4-4 curriculum had a reputation for being really intense," Saina says. "Even if they can't answer the niche questions, they love the energy, the music and the collective laughter."

What surprises many first-time visitors is that the trivia is only half the story. Between rounds, conversations naturally drift towards life abroad. Someone shares tips on finding housing. Another recommends a university programme. Others swap job leads, discuss careers, or simply check in on newcomers trying to settle into a new country.

"The trivia is the hook," Saina says. "The community is the real takeaway."

Organising events abroad is rarely easy. Busy work schedules and family commitments mean attendance can fluctuate. Even so, Saina believes these gatherings fill an important gap.

"That one chance you have to meet up with your community and connect, you have to grab it," she says. Among the evening's biggest crowd-pleasers are the Kiswahili rounds. Someone begins the first half of a familiar methali before the rest of the room races to finish it—often incorrectly.

"The results are the funniest made-up pieces of wisdom you've ever heard," Saina says, laughing. "Watching grown adults passionately defend completely invented versions of a proverb is pure gold."

The conversations soon move beyond exam questions. People remember waking before dawn for morning preps, freezing through cold showers, dodging strict teachers and school prefects, and counting the days until funkies and inter-school festivals provided welcome relief from classroom routines.

"The younger crowd brings the competitive energy while the older crowd brings deep nostalgia," she says. "It's a perfect balance."

Mutinda Kilonzo, an events curator with Qwani, says the KCPE and KCSE-themed trivia events were designed to tap into shared nostalgia and create a stronger sense of community among participants.

Photo credit: Pool

Back in Nairobi, Qwani events curator Mutinda Kilonzo says the exam nights emerged almost by accident. Qwani began primarily as a literature-focused community supporting young writers, but its activities gradually expanded to include trivia nights, karaoke sessions, poetry, play readings, hikes and music events.

"We host a lot of themed events," he says.

The exam concept was simply another experiment. "We themed it around KCPE so it wouldn't feel too difficult," he says. "That's really how the idea came about."

He never expected the response.

"I was very surprised," he says. "I didn't think it would become as popular as it did."

Where Qwani's regular events typically attracted between 60 and 70 people, the KCPE-themed night pulled in around 150.

"The excitement was incredible," he says. "There was so much energy in the room."

Some questions consistently generate louder reactions than others. Language sections and storytelling prompts spark memories almost instantly, while mathematics usually leads to spirited debates as teammates attempt to reconstruct formulas they abandoned years ago. For young adults juggling careers, university, bills and the demands of adulthood, the evenings provide a temporary escape into a much simpler version of themselves. The attraction is not necessarily remembering the right answer. It's remembering who they were when they first encountered the question.

Millennials, Kilonzo observes, often embrace that feeling most strongly.

"They're heavier on the nostalgia and the take-me-backs," he says with a laugh.

More importantly, the events have become what sociologists often call a "third space"—places that are neither home nor work, where people can build relationships through shared experiences.

"You come in as strangers but leave with something in common," he says. "It's an affordable place where young adults can connect and build community."

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jngari@ke.nationmedia.com