Nairobi Estates That Will Be Demolished to Make Way for Modern Apartments

Several Nairobi estates are set to undergo significant changes through the Nairobi Urban Renewal Project, as the county government warns that the current state of affairs cannot sustain the ballooning population in the city.
According to Chief Officer for Housing and Urban Renewal Lydia Mathia, there is an urgent need to redevelop some county estates as a matter of necessity rather than preference, as Nairobi’s daytime population surges past 7 million.
Among the estates set to be developed are Woodley, Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Ziwani, Bondeni, Kariobangi, and Embakasi.
Once complete, the ambitious programme is expected to transform Nairobi’s housing landscape, with projections suggesting that the city’s population will reach 10 million by 2050.
“When these estates were built, Nairobi had less than one million residents,” said Mathia. “We’re now dealing with numbers never imagined when the city’s foundation was laid. If we don’t act now, the crisis will only deepen.”
To address housing concerns, the county has set out to replace ageing low-density housing units, some of which are over 50 years old, with high-rise apartments capable of accommodating thousands of residents at a time.
In Woodley estate, for example, there are 43 bungalows which housed fewer than 100 people. The county government, albeit facing some resistance, sought to demolish these units to pave the way for the construction of 1,975 modern apartments, using a model that ensures the original tenants are also compensated.
Notably, each tenant is expected toreceive Ksh900,000 in relocation supportand a legally binding allotment letter guaranteeing them a unit in the redeveloped estate once construction is complete.
The construction phase of these units is expected to take between two to three years.
Amid some criticism over what sections have described as a ‘forceful eviction’, Mathia insists the county government’s approach was based on fairness,ensuring a win-win for original tenantsand the county government.
She added, “We are not pushing people out. We’re pulling them forward. The transformation must be inclusive and just.”
The Nairobi County government first announced the urban redevelopment programme on its website, stating that it planned to construct affordable apartments on the county’s former estates in an effort to address the growing demand for decent housing for everyone.
According to the notice, the Nairobi County government launched a public engagement campaign to gather stakeholders’ opinions on the proposed projects in the specified estates.