Kileleshwa

Kileleshwa

Kileleshwa

A residential neighbourhood in Nairobi

Kileleshwa is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is located approximately 5.2 kilometres (3 mi) from Nairobi's central business district. The neighbourhood was originally a low-density leafy suburb but after a change in zoning regulations in the early 2000s, there has been significant mushrooming of high-rise flats in the area. It hosts mainly the upper middle class segment of Nairobi residents.

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Location

Kileleshwa is located approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of Nairobi's central business district, within the larger sub-county of Westlands. It is east of Lavington; south of Muthangari, and west of Kilimani, mainly separated by the Kirichwa River.

Overview

The neighbourhood was established as a whites-only residential area by the British colonialists in the mid 20th century. It was not until the 1960s when it was racially integrated. The neighbourhood has historically been primarily low-density residential, but since the early 2000s, Kileleshwa and its environs have become increasingly high-density mixed residential and commercial; both retail and offices, due to the zoning laws in the area being changed.[2][3][4] Some of the high-rise buildings have been built contrary to the county's bylaws and have been characterised as vertical slums due to them burdening the existing laid infrastructure.[5][6] Residents of Kilimani and Kileleshwa have also raised concerns about the increasing number of nightclubs in the areas.[7]

In March 2024, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja proposed a re-zoning that would allow the construction of buildings up to 75 floors in Kilimani, Kilelelshwa, and Lavington.[8]

Kileleshwa, an electoral ward within the Dagoretti North Constituency, borrows its name from the estate, encompassing other estates and neighbourhoods such as: Chiromo, Groganville, Kileleshwa, Muthangari and Riverside.[9]

As per the 2019 census, Kileleshwa had a population of 22,216, with a population density of 4,229/km2 in a land area of 5.3km2.[1]

Points of interest

Schools

The Kenya High School is located in Kileleshwa.[10]

References

  1. [1]
    "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. p. 251. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. [2]
    Limbe, Lydia (4 July 2013). "Nairobi's leafy suburbs mutate in office boom". The Standard (Kenya). Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. [3]
    "About Kileleshwa". Hauzisha. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. [4]
    Muiruri, Peter. "Why Kileleshwa is becoming like Kayole, Umoja". The Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. [5]
    Mugambi, Hassan (30 April 2023). "Vertical Slums: How New Crop Of Apartments In Kilimani, Kileleshwa Is Affecting Nairobi's Infrastructure". Citizen Digital. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  6. [6]
    Wambui, Mary (6 February 2023). "How Kilimani, Kileleshwa are fast turning into Nairobi's new 'slums'". Nation. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. [7]
    "We can't sleep, city residents decry noise from nightclubs". The Star. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  8. [8]
    "Expect 75-storey buildings in Nairobi if Assembly approves zoning framework". Citizen Digital. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  9. [9]
    "Kileleshwa County assembly ward". Dagoretti North CDF. Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  10. [10]
    "Kenya High School fee structure, entry marks, address, contacts". Tuko. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
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