Diplomatic Heaven

By Allan Olingo

A relatively quiet and plush upmarket estate along Red Hill Road that feeds onto Limuru Road and Spring Valley on the lower end, Nyari Estate, is famed for its exclusivity.

Most of its houses are approved by United Nations meaning a lot of expatriates have found a comfortable aboard here.

Notice the well tended gardens in these homesteads in Nyari Estate. [PHOTOS: JENIPHER WACHIE / STANDARD]

This estate is characterised by lavish homes with sprawling gardens, most trees having been untouched even as the area developed, giving the suburb a country touch in a modern setting.

High level diplomats

Bordering the even grander areas of Gigiri, Muthaiga, Runda and Kitisuru, Nyari Estate is set some 20 kilometres from the Nairobi Central Business District and a few kilometres from Gigiri, the hub of diplomatic entities including the Unep, the United States Embassy, Canadian High Commission among others.

The hood has 24-hour police patrols from mainly the diplomatic police and the Nyari Police Post, which sits at the estates entrance.

It is a favourite neighbourhood for many expatriates, high-level diplomats and affluent Kenyans. No public service vehicle is allowed here and on many occasions, one will spot high-end cabs picking or dropping passengers.

Cost

Nyari has easy access to schools, shopping malls and hospitals with the Village Market, Warwick Centre and Gigiri all within reach of residents. The Hospital Hill School at Nyari, Roslyn Academy at Gigiri and the International School of Kenya are some of the schools serving the area. Rents run from Sh250,000 upwards for five-bedroom houses. The selling price for a five-bedroom ambassadorial residence on half an acre of land is about Sh40 million.

A six-bedroom house fetches up to Sh350,000 in rent monthly. Many diplomatic missions within the Gigiri diplomatic hub have taken up most of these.

Most of the units comprise spacious maisonettes boasting of penthouses with excellent finishing, well-manicured gardens complete with swimming pools and recreational courts such as a tennis or squash courts.

The estate has reliable access to services such as garbage collection, gardening and house keeping. It is easy to spot workers going about their business of making each house a comfortable living place.