Buru buru, the one stop complex in Eastlands

by Caroline Nyanga

Mention Eastlands and what comes to mind is insecurity, lack of planning and various social ills. Buru Buru, or Buru in short, is, however, considered the estate of the ‘loaded’ Eastlanders, often referred to as the sonkos in slang by residents of neighbouring hoods.

Tuskys supermarket is one of the major shopping malls in the hood. Photos: Jeniffer Wachie/Standard

most pimped matatus that move dangerously fast, get right into the city and are never stopped by the police. However, transport picked from Muthurwa Market costs Sh20.

It takes an average of ten minutes to and from the city on the pimped matatus and up to 30 minutes on the other forms of transport.

Buru Buru was the first estate to be divided into phases — from phase one to five. Inside the phases, houses of between 20 and 30 are grouped together into courts, which are manned by security guards who vet visitors. The roads within the estate are tarmacked and mostly clean.

Most roads in the estate are clean and tarmacked.

Houses comprise maisonettes, bungalows, extensions and flats. Some are owner-occupied while others are rental.

To buy a house in Buru, one has to part with between Sh3 million and Sh6 million depending on the phase and number of bedrooms of the desired house.

Rent ranges from Sh7,000 (for single room extensions-cum-servants quarters) to Sh30,000 for immaculate, three to four-bedroom houses.