Runda where the exclusive rich hobnob

by Pocyline Karani

How cool it must be to live in a hood that owns an efficiently run website! And if that is not good enough, a company efficiently manages its water supply, cleans the streets and maintains street lighting. Just a stone-throw away is an exclusive fire extinguishing company on high alert to snuff out any fires that accidentally flare up inside the posh Runda estate.

Residents of this 14km2 hood have easy access to two police outlets — Evergreen Police Post and Runda Police Station. Yes, this is where the rich hob nob with each other. You can enter this lavish estate from either Kiambu Road or Limuru Road.

Lavish lifestyles

Some villas in the background. Githogoro village and Mji wa Huruma slum border the posh Runda. Photo: Martin Mukangu/Standard

Palatial residences are the norm in this lush suburb that is home to the country’s who’s who. Here, house design fantasies are the in-thing. The environment is serene, quiet, peaceful and secluded to allow the rich and famous to live private, lavish lifestyles.

I was particularly impressed by a luxurious house sitting on top of a hill surrounded by secluded woodland, fragrant pine trees and overlooking a blossoming garden. Secured by a high 12ft perimeter fence, the house is set about half a kilometre from the electric gate.

In Runda, a bevy of executive luxury vehicles glide the smooth driveways — Jaguars, Chryslers, the latest Mercedes Benz Compressors and hunch-backed BMW X6.

Tattered clothes

To my surprise, a multitude of barefoot children in tattered clothes walk through the posh estate to a city council primary school that is sandwiched between luxurious homes. Ironically, Githogoro village is located north of Runda. Another slum called Mji wa Huruma is situated towards the south.

Did you know that Runda is dissected into almost two equal halves by latitude 01.2130 South and longitude 36.8190 East? The hood also stands between 1,690 metres above sea level in low-lying areas and 1,727 metres above sea level in elevated areas.

Runda occupies an area that was once an expansive coffee estate with three coffee processing factories. It started being built in 1972 following demand for decent housing upon the establishment of the UN headquarters in Gigiri in the early 1970s. Since then, the development of this hood has spread in all directions leading to Runda Evergreen and Runda Mimosa.

Northern bypass

Development is still continuing and more residential houses are under construction. All races and nationalities are represented in Runda where they live harmoniously.

It is hardly surprising to come in contact with diplomats, ministers, MPs, chief executive officers, high-ranking Government officials, staff from the United Nations, other international organisations and blue chip companies.

Through their neighbourhood association, residents of Runda are lobbying to stop the construction of the northern bypass. Why? Because it will cut through the estate and divide it into two.

Villas (that’s what houses are called here) sell at between Sh55 million and Sh100 million. Those who wish to purchase land have to part with Sh20 million for half an acre and Sh30 million for an acre.