Nyamakima is not only one of the most famous bus stops in Nairobi but also one of the biggest business areas in the capital.
Popularly known as little Murang'a, the area hosts numerous business enterprises with common commodities such as cereals and electronics goods.
Interestingly, the name is credited to old businesswomen who were selling cereals including beans and green peas (minji) at the centre between 1952 to 1959 - years before Kenya got its independence.
Given that most of the traders depended on hotels for food during the day, the women - who had issues with their teeth owing to their old age - were unable to chew the bony meat served to them.
Owing to the challenge, one restaurant decided to start mincing their meat to make it easier for them to eat.
Since that it was one of the few areas that were serving minced meat at the time, the centre got its name Nyamakima which means minced meat in Swahili.
The name also resonated well with the businesswomen and local traders - who were mostly drawn from the central region. Kima means pound in Kikuyu.
Over time, the area also gained prominence among the business community from Mt Kenya region especially those from Murang'a County as the old businesswomen invited their sons and relatives to set up shop in the area.
As the new group accessed the area, they opted to venture into the electronic business as the rest settled on the cereal business. To date, the area is known for its businesses in cereals and electronics.
Additionally, given that the majority of the traders were from the Central Region, the majority of the bus services in the area, therefore, targeted travellers from the region hence the numerous Saccos plying various Kenya county routes.
Due to the thriving business in the region, traders in the area are known to hold influence in politics and government policies in the business.
Case in point, on Tuesday, February 28, traders took to the streets to lament favouritism over some businesses in the country such as the China Square Mall.
