Omwenga says that urban sprawl being witnessed in Ongata Rongai, Ruai, Syokimau, Ngong, Kiambu, Ruiru, Isinya and Kiserian is a disaster in the making as there is no planning to support that growth.

A common perception has it that beside every affluent hood is a slum. A companion; looking, lurking, feeding it and from it. Karen has the famous Kibera and beside Runda is the less known Mji wa Huruma.

In the serene and fertile Midlands in KwaZulu-Natal - five kilometres north-west of Howick - is the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, one of South Africa’s most iconic shrines.

“Recently, a middle-aged man visited my office with €400,000 (Sh43.9 million) all in cash wanting to buy my clients’ property in Kilimani. When i insisted that the payment be made through a bank; the man and his two accomplices stormed out of my office never to come back,” a high-end property agent who only wished to be referred to as James tells Home & Away.

Not far from Runda Water Limited (RWL) are upmarket homes each set on half-an-acre with lush manicured gardens - dream homes for many; their exquisiteness notwithstanding, the homes are unlivable during the rainy season.

A running joke has it that the upwardly mobile Nairobian, starts off in Eastlands estates like Umoja, works his way to Buruburu or Langata Road and on to Kileleshwa on his way up.

At one point this area was mentioned in the same breath as Runda and Muthaiga. Today, however, this has changed after it was re-zoned and can only look back at the good old days, writes AUSTINE OKANDE

When it rains in Nairobi it floods, and when it floods the city’s old sewer lines overflow; spewing smelly raw sewage onto the roads, into residential areas and worse still contaminating clean water pipes.

All over the world, diplomats and other high level expatriates have been known to occupy the best homes in the best locations in their host countries. The trend is the same in Kenya where diplomats reside in upmarket suburbs, where some developers have put up posh homes targeting them, write PETER MUIRURI and AUSTINE OKANDE

Skander Negasi is the CEO of Trade and Fairs East Africa Limited, organisers of CIBEX East Africa Fairs. AUSTINE OKANDE spoke with him on his mission, and the challenges and opportunities in the international exhibition sector

Plans to construct the Sh1.2 billion International Arbitration and Convention Centre in Nairobi’s South C Estate is underway after the High Court in Mombasa and Nairobi dismissed two separate cases filed by disgruntled Law Society of Kenya (LSK) members.

Construction activity is hotting up in Nairobi’s posh neighbourhoods as savvy developers move in to take advantage of the rising demand for ambassadorial homes.

Increased demand for property insurance has seen non-life insurance premiums rise steadily in Kenya, according to various reports and industry experts.

Above the roaring din of revving Eastleigh matatus, the streets are slowly getting their character back. And by character this refers to the bustling horde of humanity that has over time become synonymous with this part of Nairobi.

Financial and Property Consutants Ltd CEO Martin Dias answers questions about home ownership

Experts put the 1960s to mid-1980s as the golden years of local architecture, then everything changed post 1985. Today, the industry is putting up structures that contribute more to global warming

Kenya has about 20 environmental design experts. While this is, ironically, one of the highest in Africa, the small number is partly to blame for the few green buildings in the country.

Even after 50 years of independence, Nairobi’s planning still largely mirrors its colonial era image. The capital’s initial planning strategically positioned the white settlers in the North and West parts of the city, areas that later earned the name leafy suburbs.

Considered as one of the iconic buildings in Nairobi, Gurdwara Siri Guru Singh Sabha temple, which has maintained its structural authenticity to date, not only serves as a historic monument but also as a reminder of the inception of the Sikh culture in the city.

Nairobi is today famous for its unique beautiful skyline. But did you know that this city, which in many ways still exudes an archetype of its colonial masters, started as a railway town?

Increased security and redevelopment of this segment of the city’s downtown has boosted its profile, writes AUSTINE OKANDE

Leafy suburbs located in the north-eastern parts of Nairobi, including Lavington, were for a long time the preserve of affluent individuals, with their enormous wealth manifested in the stylish bungalows.

There has been an increase in Islamic housing finance products across Islamic compliant banks, a move that has prompted conventional banks to offer such products. What is behind this trend?

Located prominently on the infamous Koinange Street (or K-Street as it is known to many) is a fascinating piece of architectural design of what used to be the New Florida Nightclub dubbed ‘Mad House’, a club whose recent closure sparked fond memories that characterised the Kenyan entertainment industry.

Standing at the junction of Nairobi’s Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue, the once dreaded Nyayo House is unmistakable.

Kenya’s property market has been booming over the last decade, with new homes being snapped up fast. But with reports indicating that only a fifth of Kenya’s urban dwellers live in their own houses, one would wonder whether home buyers do so for investment purposes or to live in them.

The World Health Organisation (2011) survey lists Japans’ life expectancy at 83. This makes life expectancy in the Asian country the highest in the world.

The case of a young Nairobian who buys beauty and bleaching products in the streets but ends up burning her face reveals the extent to which a billion-dollar counterfeit industry has grown.

According to KAM’s report, East Africa loses about US$ 500 million (Sh42.7bn) every year on counterfeit goods. The losses for Nairobi are believed to be a large percentage of this.

It has always been seen as a point of transit, that point where Kenyans own a house and not home, this could be blamed partly on the city’s origin but does Nairobi have an identity? AUSTINE OKANDE combs through the city of many faces.

‘Godfathers of Kenyan commercial dance industry’ turn their skills into big business.

If there are groups that many people with disabilities curse then it must be the architects, the engineers and vehicle makers.

Who said beauty, brains and brawns cannot come in one package? TABBY ROSE WANJA, 26, rolls her sleeves everyday, gets her hands dirty then later transforms into a swan on the runway. She spoke to AUSTINE OKANDE

Police have been accused of stalling a case in which a city businesswoman and her husband have allegedly conned 60 people of Sh34 million in a car purchase scam.

The 30 piglets and a sow recently used in a protest against MPs’ pay demands are happy and healthy, a charity has reported.