Nairobi : my City; my town
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. It is popularly referred to as the Green City in the Sun. The word Nairobi comes from the Maasai dialect and means cool water- a reference to the Nairobi river which flows through the city. Nairobi is the economic and cultural hub of Kenya. It houses the State House which is the official residence of the president,the Kenyan parliament, over 100 international organizations including the UN,one major airport-JKIA, one regional airport-the Wilson Airport and over 6.1 million people.
That is the Google definition of Nairobi. The neat facts and figures. This article is about Nairobi as seen from a resident’s view.
The distinct thing about Nairobi are the matatus. Matatus are privately owned minibuses that carry between 14–24 people at a time. Compliant matatus have yellow lines drawn on the side that indicate the route they ply on.On the other side of visual and aesthetic appeal are the “Nganyas”. These are the pimped up PSVs-think Xzibit’s show ‘Pimp My Ride’. They are a sight to behold-with elaborate graffiti,noisy horns and loud exhaust pipes. Truth be told matatus aren’t always the safest, neatest or most convenient modes of transport. They are designed to carry between 10–32 people- but where is the economic benefit of that-so the owners pluck out the seats and reinstall new seats so they can fit read squeeze in as many people as possible. So each trip is now optimized for ROI. Yippee. Compounded to that in the rush to complete as many trips as possible in a day they often flout traffic rules and overlap/ride on pavements- scaring many an unsuspecting pedestrian off the pavement.
Still on the roads is another distinct feature of Nairobi- the unending traffic jams. With an exploding middle class, increase in population, poor planning and erratic quick fix band aid solutions by the authorities the Nairobi traffic is a nightmare for Nairobi residents. Despite the construction of several superhighways in the last ten years traffic continues to frustrate the lives of residents. Residents are forced to leave their homes before 6am so as to arrive at work by at least 8am. Traffic jams continue for most of the day and only ease after 9pm. An evening downpour can complicate the situation further with flooded roads and fender benders sometimes causing the traffic to continue as late as 2am- I kid you not.
The poverty rate in Nairobi and Kenya in general is another burden citizens are grappling with. UN estimates indicate that 44% of the 52 million population live below the poverty line. This difference is made glaring obvious by the number of slums that are in Nairobi city. There are over 200 slums which house close to 2.5 million people. One such slum is Kibera the largest urban slum in Africa with an estimated population of 250,000.Those below the poverty line lack access to basic quality services such as health care, education, clean water and sanitation.
It’s not all gloom though in the Green city under the sun . As an economic and cultural hub Nairobi has a lot to offer in terms of entertainment.
Nairobi’s proximity to farming towns means that fresh fruits and vegetables are easily accessible.The eclectic mix of cultures in Nairobi has led to an array of menu options. Popular options include nyama choma- (grilled meat),matumbo (animal intestines),fish-which is either deep fried or stewed,kuku kienyeji( free range chicken) accompanied with ugali-( a type of maize porridge) chapati( nan like bread) or rice with mbogas-(green leafy vegetables). The food options also include international sprinklings such as pizzas, burgers,Chinese, Italian and Indian foods.
For the party lover there are varied night clubs to suit different tastes and budgets. A new club seems to pop up in different parts of the city every other month. However Carnivore restaurant on Langata road has stood the test of time and still commands respect as a popular venue for hosting international artistes.
The switch from analogue to digital broadcasting around 2015 led to an explosion of TV and radio stations with the number of TV stations rising to 66 while radio stations have doubled to 178 since 2015. The competition for market share has seen local broadcasters improving on quality and quantity of their content. On the TV front Citizen TV under Royal Media services commands the biggest market share followed closely by Nation TV which is owned by the Aga Khan foundation. Segmentation in radio broadcasting is by content, target age and even language used with several vernacular stations commanding a huge share.However Maina Kageni’s breakfast show on Classic FM 105 seems to be a favorite amongst commuters.
Internet speeds and costs have also improved greatly in the last decade. This has been largely driven by a reduction in average price of smartphones with the price of a smartphone having more than halved from Sh 23,100 (231 dollars) in 2013 to Sh9, 700 (97 dollars) in the last five years.
Being an economic hub Nairobi has attracted several international brands to set up shop in Nairobi. These include the supermarket chains Carrefour, Game and Shoprite, retail food stores such as KFC, Big Square, Mugs and Beans,and hospitality chains including Radission Blu,Hilton and Sheraton.
Improved governance, technological advancements and improved economic climate mean that Nairobi will only get better with time.
