Welcome to Gigiri, where city millionaires splash cash

 A posh house [Photo: Courtesy]

Gigiri simply has it all. Separated from Nairobi city centre by the 2,500-acre Karura Forest and several low, wooded hills, Gigiri is a highly acclaimed secure neighbourhood that now serves as a principal diplomatic region in Kenya.

 It is bordered to the north by Runda, a private estate built on a former coffee plantation. It has large, modern houses on big plots and excellent security with good access and roads.

On the other side is the upmarket Muthaiga estate that boasts not only lavish homes with sprawling gardens but also hosts residences for the top men and women in the land. It is also home to many ambassadors and diplomats.

Gigiri is about 10 kilometres north of Nairobi’s CBD and covers about 265 acres, extending from the junction of UN Avenue and Limuru Road to the boundary wall of Rosslyn Academy and back to UN Avenue.

In the early and mid-90s, Gigiri was just another estate in Nairobi, with most of it being large undeveloped tracts of land. There were several scattered houses, though still upmarket compared to today’s myriad homes and diplomatic offices.

The transformation began in the late 1990s following the establishment of the United Nations offices in 1996 and relocation of the American Embassy after the 1998 bomb blast attack on its offices in the CBD.

 This totally transformed the Gigiri landscape to what is now referred to as the Blue Diplomatic Zone as a result of the various diplomatic missions based there.

Today, Gigiri has evolved from just being a Zone 3 residential area - a high-end property area mainly for mansions - to also serve as a medium-scale commercial hub with its own security patrols, shopping malls, religious centres, hospitals and prestigious schools.

Briefly, here are some of the hotspots that have completely transformed the face of Gigiri:

 Runda and Muthaiga

The close proximity of Gigiri to Runda and Muthaiga has greatly contributed to the growth of the area.

These are estates that comprise high-end bungalows, villas and mansions largely leased to diplomats, foreign officials and other top men and women in the land.

The Muthaiga Golf Club and Muthaiga Country Club, both private member clubs, provide social platforms for the residents in this area.

 Missions in Kenya

The United Nations Office located in the United Nations Complex in Gigiri, serves as the UN headquarters in Africa.

The UN office performs representation and liaison functions with permanent missions, the host-country and other governments, and intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations in Nairobi, as well as other organisations of the United Nations system in Kenya; facilitates co-operation between the United Nations and regional organisations; provides administrative and other support services to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); provides joint and common services to other organisations of the United Nations system in Kenya; and manages and implements the programmes of administration, conference services and public information, while providing security and safety services for United Nations staff and facilities in the United Nations Office at Nairobi. It is the working place of almost 3,000 staff coming from diverse nationalities and divisions of the UN. This high number of staff are housed in the neighbouring residential areas of Runda, Rosslyn, Nyari, Muthaiga and of course Gigiri.

 Embassies and consulates

Following the Al-Qaeda linked attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi’s CBD in August 1998, the offices were relocated to Gigiri where it was perceived to be much safer in terms of monitoring security.

 This move, coupled with the presence of the UN offices, saw Gigiri quickly rise from a commercial and residential area to a buzz of activity as players in the retail sector battled for space and property seekers rushed to buy land there.

Other embassies in Gigiri include the Canadian Embassy, Brazilian Embassy, Rwandan Embassy, Malaysian Consulate, Swedish Embassy and the Moroccan Embassy.

 All these have played a key role in the transformation of Gigiri, especially with regard to the security and growth of commercial centres.

 The Village Market

Gigiri boasts of this beautifully designed shopping, recreation and entertainment centre with cascading waterfalls, open air restaurants, and multi-layered walkways in which more than 150 retail outlets offer their wares.

 Since its inception 12 years ago, it has grown and now has a five-star hotel within its compound, a major supermarket, three screen movie theatres, 10 pin bowling alleys, a mini golf course, swimming centre with swirling rapids and large water slides and shutes, restaurants, exhibition space, post office, art gallery, butchery, jewellery shop, bakery, grocery, children’s’ climbing frame and recreational area, fast food joints and an amphi-theatre.

 Tribe Hotel

Inside the Village Market compound lies one of Kenya’s most prestigious hotels – The Tribe. It is situated adjacent to the shopping centre and has 137 guestrooms and suites.

 The hotel offers convenience, security and an unparalleled shopping and entertainment experience both for tourists and business people visiting the city.

 This has in turn made Gigiri a preferred destination for many, especially tourists who are looking to stopover before embarking on a journey of discovery through Kenya’s heritage sites.

 Karura Forest

A description of Gigiri’s tranquility cannot end without mentioning the 1,063-hectare Karura Forest. The forest is shared by various suburbs, including Muthaiga, Runda, Ridgeways, Mathare North, Highridge and Spring Valley.

 The cool, micro-climate it brings to Gigiri is undeniable, while the amazing sites from the homes are breath-taking.

The forest plays host to a number of walking and cycling tracks. The guaranteed security from the Kenya Forest Service has seen the number of visitors to the forest rise dramatically, especially at the weekend.

The writer is the CEO of Financial and Property Consultants Ltd.