She turned in his direction, because she felt someone staring. When he came over and sat down, she was in awe. He was broad shouldered, in a crisp pair of jeans, a sharp blazer and the perfect smile. They spoke for all of five minutes although she doesn’t quite remember what was said. She reached into her purse totake down his digits, but when she looked up, he was gone. This is how Cheroo Mung’ony describes meeting her current boyfriend. That five-minute, ethereal-sounding encounter two years ago at Nairobi’s Casablanca Bar was her first taste of speed dating. Back then, this style of matchmaking was quite novel, with only a handful of such events taking place in the city. Now it has grown in popularity, attracting between 100 and 400 people per event. So, how does it work? These events are quite the structured affair and often begin with singles meeting up at a social venue. They’ll huddle up in one room with notepads, pens and flat shoes.

The key to these events is music. The volume is turned up, and the singles are released into the fast and furious world of dating. Two singles get five minutes to talk to each other and, when the background music stops, they must each move on to the next single. This happens until everyone in the room has spoken to one another. Because each conversation lasts just a few minutes, a group of 100 singles can have up to 12 dates each in a matter of an hour! Tony Karanja, a speed-dating organizer with Infinite Media, says that speed dating has become an attractive option because it saves time. “Nairobians are the busiest people on earth! And since speed dating cuts out several steps in the dating process, it tends to suit them very well,” he says. “Speed dating is smart dating.

You don’t have to do the guessing you do at a club, wondering if a guy is single or married or gay. Everyone there is single and searching,” explains Faith Gichuki, a speed-dating attendee at Azalea Bar last November. So, is this new form of quickie dating the perfect solution that Kenyan singles have been searching for? David Lebohang is a frequent participant, and he is not so sure. “The problem with speed dating is it’s all about first impressions, and if you mess up in the first few dates, it has a ripple effect and messes up the rest of your evening.” Thankfully, you have the rest of the night and more singles to get through to potentially fix this kind of situation.

Remember, speed dating has gained most, if not all, of its popularity due to its ability to bring together a sizable number of singles. See, in the time it takes to heat up a frozen meal, a buoyant single at a speed- dating event will have sailed through two dates. And, perhaps like Cheroo, you too might make a love connection when trying your odds in the numbers game. To get in touch with Tony Karanja, visit www. infinitemedia.co.ke or www.facebook.com/Speed- datekenya.