Kizingo, Mombasa’s ‘matatuless’ estate

By Philip Mwakio

It is arguably one of Mombasa City’s well-secured residential areas that boasts of Kenya’s coastal based State House,?Coast Provincial headquarters and the Provincial Police headquarter offices, among others.

?The Mombasa Law Courts also stands on land?that straddles the Kizingo empire.

?Kizingo estate has its own ward representative and is considered to be an area for those with means.

?High-rise buildings have sprouted up over time giving it a complete change-over in landscape and scenery.

?On one side it borders the scenic Mama Ngina Drive, a historical park right at the entrance of the Kilindini harbour and Lighthouse- navigational office for mariners.

?The Mombasa Golf Course, which hosted the IAAF 35th edition of World Cross Country championships in March 2007 is also located in Kizingo.

It is the only estate in Mombasa known not to be served by matatus.

??However there are several three-wheeler (tuk tuks) that shuttle up and down Kizingo’s best-kept roads.

?Bungalows, suites, Government and parastatal?staff quarters dot the vicinity of this estate that is home to about 5,000 residents.

Up market

?House rent here ranges from Sh15,000 for a bed-sitter to Sh50,000 for a three bedroomed house.

?Kizingo has not been left behind in terms of new real estate development that has lately seen high-rise residential flats come up.

?Just like the larger Mombasa metropolis, Kizingo has seen a tremendous rush for development in real estate. Investors have acquired plots, demolished old buildings and put up new and taller structures,’’ Edwin Apita, a resident said.

?A masterpiece in architectural design in the area is the Aga Khan Academy Complex, which stands on a hilly location overlooking the Mama Ngina Drive.

Educational giants

?Mombasa County national girls secondary School, Mama Ngina, Star of the Sea, Coast Girls High School, Mbaraki Girls, Serani Primary and Secondary School and Aga Khan High School are some of the educational institutions in the area.

?There are also several government offices located within Kizingo including the newly refurbished Government Training Institute.

?Three of Mombasa’s largest private hospitals — the Mombasa Hospital, Aga Khan and Pandya Memorial Hospital are located within easy reach.

?Also to be found in this estate are two of Mombasa’s largest Christian churches, the Holy Ghost Cathedral and the Anglican Church of Kenya Memorial Cathedral.

?For shopping needs, there is the Nakumatt Likoni shopping mall.