Nyayo Estate in Nairobi has consistently been ranked one of the largest in Africa and is on track to become the largest in the continent.
The estate boasts over 5,000 housing units and a population of 30,000 residents largely due to National Social Security Fund (NSSF) investment, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).
The 5,000 units make the estate the second largest in Africa behind Nigeria’s Gwarinpa Estate which has 5,700 houses.
Of the 5,000 housing units in Nyayo Estate, it is estimated that 4,774 of them were built in the early 90s by NSSF, and are classified into six phases.
Due to the government’s involvement through NSSF, the region enjoys better city planning than most estates in the country.
According to Multiscope, consulting engineers commissioned to carry out supervision for civil engineering works, the estate boasts of roads and drainage involving approximately 24 Km of open channel surface run-off drainage channels.
Nyayo Estate also enjoys paved internal roads and parking constructed to bitumen standards and has social amenities including; schools, hospitals, community and shopping centres.
NSSF had an ambitious plan to rival Nyayo Estate by building 30,000 housing units in Mavoko, Machakos County, but the project did not take off after failing to get a joint partner.
Unlike most estates in Africa, Nyayo has been ranked since 2011 by the Community Development Network (CDN) as having best practices in ensuring a clean environment through garbage and litter management, tree planting and well-maintained gardens.
According to Makao Bora, a real estate company, the estate is governed by tough rules to make sure that the area remains one of the safest in the city.
“Any resident who wishes to move out any goods from the estate must acquire a goods movement form from the estate management office.
“The office then verifies one’s identity against the details in their database to avoid impersonation and where there is a discrepancy, they decline to release such goods as a security measure,” Makao Bora stated
Despite the amenities and top infrastructure residents enjoy, the area has been plagued by water shortage in recent years due to intermittent services offered by Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC).
