How Nairobi’s posh estates losing prestige over mushrooming kiosks

In early August, a fierce debate erupted on social media, particularly on X, over the rapid decline in the prestige of Nairobi’s once upmarket residential estates.

An X user, identified as Alfayaz11, wrote: "Nairobi County has really lost the plot. Who in their right mind puts kiosks right outside people’s homes, devaluing high-end properties and ruining what was once a beautiful green area? We even cut down old trees to make way for these county kiosks. From the day they began erecting them in December, I said it: this place will soon start deteriorating."

He clarified that he was not opposed to kiosks in principle, but insisted there must be proper planning, appropriate locations, adequate spacing, and respect for the environment.

"Now even pedestrian walkways are taken over by smokie carts, mannequins and people frying fish. What kind of backward mindset is this? It’s true what they say: give someone with no understanding of a city the keys to the capital, and they’ll run it like a village," he posted.

His remarks triggered varied reactions, many lamenting the changing face of Nairobi estates due to poor planning attributed to the authorities.

"I’m old enough to have witnessed the decay across Nairobi and its peri-urban environs from the colonial infrastructure to date. We Kenyans, despite education, are not civilised enough to manage a serious city or nation. It hurts to admit it, but it’s 100 per cent true," another X user reacted.

Christopher Haslett blamed political leadership and its obsession with winning votes.

"This has always been about votes. They don’t allow such businesses in the very pricey areas where politicians and billionaires live, but everywhere else will be colonised by them," he said.

The declining standards of Nairobi’s formerly posh estates have also seen property values dip.

Developers and landlords in Nairobi suburbs have, in some cases, been forced to lower asking prices for units in their apartments.

According to the Hass Property Price Indices for the first quarter of 2025, leafy suburbs recorded a contraction in asking prices for the first time in two years, by -0.8 per cent.

HassConsult, a real estate firm, noted that this was driven by significant contractions in Muthaiga (-4.9 per cent), Nyari (-4.7 per cent), and Kilimani (-4.6 per cent).

Nairobi’s suburbs include Karen, Runda, Muthaiga, Lavington, Kileleshwa, Westlands, Lang’ata, Nyari, Ridgeways, Spring Valley, Gigiri, Kilimani, and Loresho.

The mushrooming of kiosks and other informal structures has even sparked conflicts and court battles.

Other Topics To Read

• City Affairs
• Nairobi County
• Governor Johnson Sakaja
• Land grabbing
• Posh estates
• County kiosks
• How Nairobi’s posh estates losing prestige over mushrooming kiosks
• Headlines

Recently, a standoff was reported in the Muthangari area of Westlands following the spread of kiosks and informal settlements.

Businesses and homeowners, particularly along Muthangari Drive, protested that kiosks had been erected on pavements and walkways, restricting movement and raising security concerns.

The business community complained that these ‘illegal’ structures had been built in front of their premises, disrupting customer access.

Residents further alleged that the trend could be part of a scheme by powerful individuals at City Hall to grab land in the area. In the meantime, the kiosks are making life difficult for businesses and motorists.

International organisations and large companies operating in the area have also been forced to contend with worsening traffic congestion just to access their offices.

Business owners along Muthangari Drive appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene, with some claiming they had received threats from cartels.

Urban planner Michael Okeyo argued that blame should be shared between the authorities and property owners who seek extra income by erecting kiosks.

"As much as we would blame the city planning department for not doing its job properly, there is also a growing trend of landlords or property owners putting up kiosks in front of their prime buildings to earn additional money," Okeyo said.

Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration has led efforts to restore order in Nairobi’s Central Business District by towing away kiosks. However, little has been done in residential areas.