Satellite towns outside Nairobi are attracting more tenants in a trend that is quickly picking pace in the city as residents explore life outside the hustle and bustle of city life with more tenants looking for a cheaper lifestyle.
Some of the fast-growing towns include Ruiru, Kikuyu, Athi River, Kitengela, Thindigua, Ruaka, Juja, Ngong, Thika, Lower Kabete, Rongai, and Uthiru. Some of the pros of living in satellite towns include;
Affordable Houses
Nicholas Gachara, a financial expert who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke explained that rent should not exceed a third of one's salary. Most houses outside Nairobi can be rented at affordable rates, i.e between Ksh 5,000 and Ksh 7,000 for bedsitters and Ksh 10,000 for one-bedrooms.
This enables residents to save a portion of their salaries, which can be used for transport, food and other expenses.
Land rates outside the city are also lower, offering developers affordable costs to construct houses.
Cheap food
Most of the suburban towns supply the city with food from cereals to vegetables and fruits.
Business owners lease land outside the city for agriculture; farming, poultry and livestock grazing.
These commodities are sold at retail prices in the suburbs as more costs such as transport levies are added to residents living within the city making the cost of food relatively expensive compared to peri-urban centres. In some satellite towns, one can purchase a crate of eggs at Ksh 300 (Ksh 10 per egg) as compared to Ksh 360 (Ksh 12 per egg).
Serene Environment
Most residential areas within Nairobi grapple with garbage, noise pollution and leaking sewerage. These are some of the challenges facing the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) in the delivery of services.
2,400 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Nairobi every day, with nearly all of it dumped in Dandora, the city's main dumpsite.
In some estates, landlords charge tenants garbage fees unlike a number of satellite towns where garbage is collected by private companies. Noise pollution is also averagely low.
However, the downside of relocating to the satellite towns include;
Amenities
The construction of roads such as Thika Superhighway, Northern, Western and Eastern Bypasses has led to the development of social amenities such as schools, malls, restaurants that rival those offered in the city.
Roads have also led to an increase in population and have attracted developers with some of the towns now struggling to support the rapidly growing populations.
These areas are also grappling with insecurity incidences. Residents have also lamented that traffic snarl-ups on major highways are frustrating.
In August 2020, the National Police Service listed a number of satellite towns as some of the most dangerous places to stay in Kenya.
Kiandutu area in Thika was noted as being a common area for assaults, break-ins, arson and drug trafficking crimes.
Mangu flyover in Thika and Kosovo in Athi River were flagged for robbery and mugging.
Railway line area (Junction of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway and the stretch to Kikuyu town) was noted for rape, murder and carjacking.
