Kahawa is a mixed-use settlement spanning the Kiambu and Nairobi county borders along Thika Road. It is electorally divided into four wards across the two counties: Kahawa and Kahawa West wards in Nairobi county and Kahawa Wendani and Kahawa Sukari wards in Kiambu county. Despite its proximity to the city, half of it is administratively in Ruiru, while some parts, such as Kenyatta University, Kahawa Barracks, Kiwanja and Githurai 44, are administratively in Kasarani.
Originally a coffee growing region, the Kahawa region is generally subdivided into four electoral wards as follows:
Ward | Comprises | Constituency | Sub-county | County |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kahawa | Kongo Soweto, Kamuthi, and parts of Githurai 44, Jacaranda Apartments, Maziwa Settlement | Roysambu | Kasarani | Nairobi |
Kahawa Sukari | Peponi School, Brookside Dairy Limited, Kahawa Sukari Location, parts of Northlands | Ruiru | Ruiru [1] | Kiambu |
Kahawa Wendani | Home to Maguna's Wendani (formerly Nakumatt), and the entire Kahawa Wendani Sub-Location | Ruiru | Ruiru [1] | Kiambu |
Kahawa West | Kahawa West Market, Kenyatta University, Kenyatta University Hospital (KUTRRH), KM, Kiwanja, Kamae Settlement, & Kamiti Prison | Roysambu | Kasarani | Nairobi |
The Kahawa Barracks area (which partly forms the border with Nairobi County) was the site of a British Army base before Kenya's independence [2] and now hosts the Kahawa Army Base of Kenyan Army. [3]
Kahawa lies to the north of Githurai, another inter-county suburb and settlement along the Kenya-Uganda Railway. In 2016, this town started to be served by suburban trains of the Nairobi rail service.
Kenyatta University (KU) is a public research university with its main campus in Nairobi. It acquired the status of university in 1985, being the third university after University of Nairobi (1970) and Moi University (1984). As of October 2014, it was one of 23 public universities in the country.
Ruiru is a municipality and sub-county in Kiambu County, Kenya. It sits within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan region. According to the 2019 national population census, Ruiru is the 4th largest urban centre in Kenya by population. The name Ruiru is of the Kikuyu dialect and possibly relates to the black cotton soil that is found in most parts of Ruiru to the east and south.
Kiambu is a town in Kiambu County, Kenya. It is 14 km (8.7 mi) from the capital Nairobi. It is the capital of Kiambu County, which bounds the northern border of Nairobi. Other proximate towns are Ruiru, Gatundu, Limuru and Kabete.
Kiambu County is a county in the former Central Province of Kenya. Its capital is Kiambu and its largest town is Thika town. Kiambu County is the second most populous county in Kenya after Nairobi County. Kiambu County borders Nairobi and Kajiado Counties to the South, Machakos to the East, Murang'a to the North and North East, Nyandarua to the North West, and Nakuru to the West. It has a population of 2,417,735.
Gatundu is a small town in Kiambu County of Kenya. It is known for the first Kenyan president Jomo Kenyatta who lived about three kilometres away from the town, as well as his son, Uhuru Kenyatta, now the 4th President of Kenya and former Member of Parliament representing Gatundu South Constituency. The town is located on a hill surrounded by many farms and residences.
Kasarani Constituency is an electoral constituency in Nairobi. It is one of seventeen constituencies of Nairobi City County. The entire constituency is located within Nairobi City County, and has an area of 152.60 km2 (58.9 sq mi), making it the second-largest constituency in Nairobi after Lang'ata. It borders Ruaraka, Embakasi Central, Embakasi North, Embakasi East, Roysambu constituencies to the west; Ruiru constituency to the north; Matungulu constituency to the east and Mavoko constituency to the south-east.
Kamulu is a neighbourhood in Nairobi City County located to the North East of the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD). It borders Joska (Matungulu) in Machakos County to the east, Mwalimu Farm Ruiru to the north, Njiru to the west, and Mihang'o to the south west.
Githurai is a composition of densely populated, urban, mixed-use settlements located at the border of Nairobi County and Kiambu County along the Thika Road. Githurai is divided into two; Githurai 45 and Githurai 44. Githurai 45 falls under Ruiru Constituency in the Githurai Sub-county of Kiambu County with the boundary being the Thika Road reserve and River Kasarani downstream. Githurai 44 is domiciled in Roysambu Constituency in the Kasarani Sub-county of Nairobi County. Githurai 44 neighbours Kahawa West, Zimmerman and Njatha-ini Village.
Kasarani is a commercial and residential neighbourhood in northeast Nairobi. Kasarani is also used in reference to the city's second most populated sub-county with the same name, which spans through neighbourhoods in the northeastern areas of Nairobi. Located within the larger Kasarani area, the Kasarani enclave is approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Nairobi's central business district off Thika Road.
Nairobi City County is one of the 47 counties of Kenya. With an estimated population of 5,454,000 in 2024, it is the third smallest yet the most populous of the counties, also serving as the capital of Kenya. In 2013, the county entity was effected, replacing Nairobi City Council, the long-standing unit of administration since pre-independence. The city county consists of eleven gazetted sub-counties and eighty five electoral wards. On the national level, Nairobi also sends seventeen Members of Parliament across the constituencies and one County Woman Representative to the National Assembly; one senator to the Senate. The county government, which is allocated devolved functions as per the constitution, is headed by the county governor, who appoints his cabinet. The county's legislature is headed by the County Speaker, who presides over the County Assembly: single-member elected Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) represent their respective electoral wards. Additional MCAs are also nominated by political parties as a form of affirmative action.
Kiambu District was an administrative district in the Central Province of Kenya. Its capital town was Kiambu. The district was adjacent to the northern border of Nairobi and has a population of 744,010.
Ruiru is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of the twelve constituencies in Kiambu County. Within Ruiru Constituency, there are two sub-counties; Githurai and Ruiru. Its current Member of Parliament is Hon. Kingara, Simon Nganga of United Democratic Alliance party. The county has a total population of 371,111 people.
Roysambu Constituency is an electoral constituency in Nairobi. It is one of seventeen constituencies in Nairobi City County. It was created prior to the 2013 general election, when Kasarani Constituency was divided into three constituencies: Kasarani, Roysambu and Ruaraka.
Nairobi Northern Bypass Highway is a road in Kenya, the largest economy in the East African Community. It connects the neighbourhood of Ruaka to the neighborhood of Ruiru, both in Kiambu County.
Tatu City is a 5,000 acres (2,000 ha) special economic zone (SEZ) located 20 kilometres (12 mi) North of Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) in the Ruiru Municipality area of Kiambu County. It sits within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan region and is a flagship project of the Kenya Vision 2030 blueprint.
Roysambu is a commercial and residential suburb of the city of Nairobi. Located within the larger Kasarani area, it is approximately 11 kilometres (7 mi) northeast of Nairobi's central business district off Thika Road. The neighbourhood is a high-density, hosting the lower middle income to low income segment of the Nairobi residents.
Zimmerman is a mixed-use and residential suburb of the city of Nairobi. Located within the larger Kasarani area, it is approximately 13 kilometres (8 mi) northeast of Nairobi's central business district off Thika Road. The neighbourhood got its name from a German industrialist Karl Fritz Paul Zimmerman. The neighbourhood is high-density, hosting the lower middle income to low income segment of the Nairobi residents.
Mwiki is a low-income neighbourhood in the counties of Nairobi and Kiambu. It is approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northeast of the central business district of Nairobi. Due to its transregional nature, the part of Mwiki that is within Nairobi is referred as Kasarani Mwiki while the other portion domiciled in Kiambu is referred as Githurai Mwiki.
Marurui is a neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. Located in the larger Kasarani area, it is approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) northeast of the central business district of Nairobi.