Athi River: A Town where industries and residents live in uneasy peace

"Athi River was established as an industrial town. As more industries set up, demand for labour went up, which in turn created demand for housing," Mr Nganga said.

According to Nganga, rapid industrialisation was not matched with adequate urban planning. The Machakos County Council, and later the Mavoko Town Council, failed to develop a comprehensive physical planning map for the area. This lack of planning led to unregulated residential development.