Area Code – Land Mawe estate, Nairobi

Land Mawe is an old city estates serving residents of all kinds, from students, working class to low-income earners.

The estate is located on the edge of Nairobi’s CBD next to Nairobi Railway Station, a transport hub for many living within Nairobi and the outskirts, and the Technical University of Kenya (TUK).

The estate has several, numbered block buildings, which eases identification for first time visitors. Each block has a landlord, normally a retired staff of the Kenya Railways (KR) assigned to manage the assets on their behalf.

A block has five to 10 rooms. According to a resident who has lived here for more than five years, the assets were transferred to the KR Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme as part settlement of a Shs10 billion debt.

Due to high demand for accommodation, landlords charge upto Sh7,000 per month for a single room. Many TUK students are forced to live in these dilapidated buildings since the college has few hostels.

The rooms are often cramped, stuffy and poorly lit and the toilets emit a pungent smell. The drainage and sewerage system is a mess. Still, access to health facilities has improved the living standards of residents living here. And security is good.

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