Old is gold: Why there's booming business in old building materials

Old building materials are on sale along Lower Kabete Road. [XN Iraki, Standard]

Lower Kabete Road, just before turning into Kyuna Road is now a gold mine. The gold is old building materials - bricks, stones, windows, bathtubs, toilet cisterns, building stones, door handles, among others.

The presence of lorries and pickups leaves no doubt some brisk business is going on. One transporter told me these items go as far as Mombasa.

Why the interest in such old items? The secret is quality. The old houses brought down to make way for high-rise buildings used quality materials, some imported from India and England. Some of the material brand names are long gone, but their quality endures.