Eastleigh community in Nairobi to host cultural, business expo

Eastleigh gears up for business, cultural expo to showcase opportunities

NAIROBI, KENYA: Eastleigh, a suburb of Nairobi located east of the central business district and predominantly inhabited by Somalis community plans to host a one day cultural festival and business expo.

The Firi Festival Eastleigh, which will be held on Saturday from 9am to 6pm, according to organiser Ahmed Mohamed, is meant to celebrate the cultural diversity of the area.

‘‘Eastleigh is known as the business hub in Kenya and it contributes around 30 per cent of Nairobi County’s revenue. Firi Festival Eastleigh and business expo on Saturday 7, April is meant to celebrate this unique yet diverse neighbourhood,’’ Mohamed told Metropolitan.

 According to Mohamed, Eastleigh has been given negative connotation as terrorist ground which is not true.

‘‘There is this negative connotation of money laundering and dirty business which is not true. Somalis are known to be entrepreneurial people in nature that attracts people from as far as Central Africa, Southern Sudan and Ethiopia for business and the festival will help us celebrate our cosmopolitan nature and change this negative perception,’’ added Mohamed, who is also an executive member of the Eastleigh Business Community.

He said that Majority Leader Aden Duale will be the guest of honour, who will officially open the festival together with local legislator for Kamukunji Constituency MP Yusuf Hassan.

‘‘We also hope Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko will attend the festival together with Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus who has confirmed attendance. Other guests we expect are managing directors of Gulf African Bank and Dahabshiil Abdalla Abdulkhalik and Abdi Mohamed respectively among others,’’ said Mohamed, who added that they expect 2000 people to attend the festival.

Some of the activities during the day will be cultural dances and poems from diverse Somalis and non-Somali communities.

Safaricom, Kenya Power, Gulf African Bank, Nairobi County, Dahabshiil are among the sponsors and that top bosses are also expected to speak at the event.

Eastleigh has about 40 shopping malls and 15 money transfer shops commonly called hawalas.