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Kileleshwa

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Coordinates: 01°16′37″S 36°47′35″E / 1.27694°S 36.79306°E / -1.27694; 36.79306
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Kileleshwa
Kileleshwa is located in Kenya
Kileleshwa
Kileleshwa
Location of Kileleshwa in Kenya
Coordinates: 01°16′37″S 36°47′35″E / 1.27694°S 36.79306°E / -1.27694; 36.79306
CountryKenya
CountyNairobi City
Sub-countyWestlands
Area
 • Total
5.3 km2 (2.0 sq mi)
Population
 (2019)[1]
 • Total
22,216
 • Density4,229/km2 (10,950/sq mi)

Kileleshwa is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is located approximately 5.2 kilometres (3 mi) from Nairobi's central business district. The neighbourhood was originally a low-density leafy suburb but after a change in zoning regulations in the early 2000s, there has been significant mushrooming of high-rise flats in the area. It hosts mainly the upper middle class segment of Nairobi residents.

Location

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Kileleshwa is located approximately 5 kilometres (3 mi) west of Nairobi's central business district, within the larger sub-county of Westlands. It is east of Lavington; south of Muthangari, and west of Kilimani, mainly separated by the Kirichwa River.

Overview

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Kileleshwa hosts a significant population of the upper middle income population of Nairobi.[2] The neighbourhood has historically been primarily low-density residential, but since the early 2000s, Kileleshwa and its environs have become increasingly high-density mixed residential and commercial; both retail and offices, due to the zoning laws in the area being changed.[3][4][5] Some of the high-rise buildings have been built contrary to the county's bylaws and have been characterised as vertical slums due to them burdening the existing laid infrastructure.[6][7] Residents of Kilimani and Kileleshwa have also raised concerns about the increasing number of nightclubs in the areas.[8]

In March 2024, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja proposed a re-zoning that would allow the construction of buildings up to 75 floors in Kilimani, Kilelelshwa, and Lavington.[9]

Kileleshwa, an electoral ward within the Dagoretti North Constituency, borrows its name from the estate, encompassing other estates and neighbourhoods such as: Chiromo, Groganville, Kileleshwa, Muthangari and Riverside.[10]

As per the 2019 census, Kileleshwa had a population of 22,216, with a population density of 4,229/km2 in a land area of 5.3km2.[1]

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Over the past two decades, Kileleshwa has experienced rapid urbanisation, marked by a surge in high-rise apartment buildings. Originally a low-density area, zoning law adjustments in the early 2000s allowed for more intensive development.[11] This has led to mixed reactions from residents, with some appreciating the area's accessibility while others decry the strain on local infrastructure.[2] The proliferation of high-rise flats has also significantly impacted property values, making Kileleshwa a popular residential area for upper-middle-class residents.[3]

Points of interest

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Schools

The Kenya High School is located in Kileleshwa.[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b "2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units". Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. p. 251. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Ideal areas to live in Nairobi; For different incomes". www.cytonn.com. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b Limbe, Lydia (4 July 2013). "Nairobi's leafy suburbs mutate in office boom". The Standard (Kenya). Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ^ "About Kileleshwa". Hauzisha. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  5. ^ Muiruri, Peter. "Why Kileleshwa is becoming like Kayole, Umoja". The Standard. Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  6. ^ Mugambi, Hassan (30 April 2023). "Vertical Slums: How New Crop Of Apartments In Kilimani, Kileleshwa Is Affecting Nairobi's Infrastructure". Citizen Digital. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  7. ^ Wambui, Mary (6 February 2023). "How Kilimani, Kileleshwa are fast turning into Nairobi's new 'slums'". Nation. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  8. ^ "We can't sleep, city residents decry noise from nightclubs". The Star. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  9. ^ "Expect 75-storey buildings in Nairobi if Assembly approves zoning framework". Citizen Digital. 25 March 2024. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Kileleshwa County assembly ward". Dagoretti North CDF. Nairobi. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  11. ^ Digital, Standard. "Why Kileleshwa is becoming like Kayole, Umoja". Standard Entertainment. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Kenya High School fee structure, entry marks, address, contacts". Tuko. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
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