Nostalgia, despair as city estates with rich history set to come down

A case in point is Ziwani Estate, which belongs to the Nairobi City County Government, some houses there are rented at Sh1,200 for a one-room unit and Sh2,500 for a two-room unit.

The estate constructed in the 1940s is said to be home to over 690 families, according to the estate's resident Association chairperson Bob Matola.

He said Ziwani is made up of three categories of units: the former staff houses allocated to Kenya Breweries Limited, those allocated to Kenya Bus Services and the other category for Nairobi City County staff.

"This excludes extensions," he said. Extensions are semi-permanent structures which some residents put up to create either extra rooms for their families or in some cases for rent.

Matola said the Nairobi City Council used to refurbish the units but stopped in 1978. Since then, services like garbage collection are also not provided.

Okiri Onyala, who has lived in Ziwani for more than 40 years, said the main fear of the residents is being swindled out of the units. That is why they do not want to move out.

"We want to be involved in every process, which is not happening. We want to get priority. We know each other from house numbers," he says.

When the county embarked on redeveloping Jeevanjee and Pangani estates, the plan was also met with protests from residents who refused to move even as the then Governor Mike Sonko insisted that the process would be humane.

The national government is being faced with the same predicament in the notice earlier issued to have residents living in Jogoo Phase I and II vacate to pave the way for the affordable housing programme. A case is currently in court over the same.

"We actually moved here in 2020 from another national government estate. Someone like me I have known this to be my home for 17 years," a resident who wished not to be named told The Standard. "We are not sure if we will move because there is an engagement ongoing with the estate leadership and the national government."

There are also fears that the running project may destroy the city's heritage, some of which is encased in historical houses in Ziwani and the estates along Jogoo Road.

Tom Mboya's house in Ziwani estate, Nairobi. [Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

"We are now at the stage of discussing with joint venture partners then we will go to targeted engagements with residents," said Mr Analo.

The county will then sign a Memorandum of Understanding with existing residents that will guarantee them units once completed.

"In some places we have the third generation occupying the units. We will take this into account to ensure these people get back their houses. Basically, they are the ones who have been taking care of that place," he said.

It is the same concern raised by residents who occupy national government units, which some have also been earmarked for demolition to pave way for affordable housing programme.

At Jogoo Phase II where planned demolitions are set to take place in a month's time after residents were asked by the national government to relocate, the concerns are similar.

Water and sewer are some of the amenities that both levels of government have been asked to be cognisant about as they implement the project.

Mairura Omwenga, chairperson of the Town & County Planners Association, said the planned redevelopment of old estates in the city is timely. However, the major question is the density of the expected new estates.

"The question would be: what density are we going to develop so that as we accommodate more people, we make sure there is adequate infrastructure, water, sanitation in terms of sewerage, community facilities, schools health facilities, and green spaces for children to play and also for grownups to walk around and enjoy the sun," he said.

He said the concerns raised by residents on allocation are genuine considering the history of such projects in the country. This, he said, is a governance issue that should be addressed.

"With increased population, the need to develop housing is timely. There has been serious shortage of housing for the low-income," he said.

According to the Nairobi City County Assembly Report on the Consideration of the Sessional Paper No 1 on the Urban Housing Renewal and Regeneration Policy, high and mid-rise apartment complexes will be constructed in place of the decayed bungalows existing in the old estates.