Eastleigh is a neighbourhood in
Nairobi
Nairobi ( ) is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The name is derived from the Maasai phrase ''Enkare Nairobi'', which translates to "place of cool waters", a reference to the Nairobi River which flows through the city. The city proper h ...
,
Kenya
)
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. It is located east of the
central business district. It is known for its business prowess,
as well as "its poor infrastructure.
[Kenya/Somalia: Somalia community doing booming business in country](_blank)
- ''Norwegian Council for Africa''
History
Eastleigh was founded in 1921. At this time, it was formally called Nairobi East Township. While the colonial government originally tried to segregate citizens by race and ethnicity, failures at doing so in the Eastleigh neighbourhood more or less stopped the practice under colonial rule, so class became the general segregating factor afterwards. The colonial government allotted Nairobi's residential estates by race, and Eastleigh was pointed for Asians and elite Africans who worked as clerks, builders or shoemakers. Eastleigh was originally a large
Kenyan Asian
Indians in Kenya, often known as Kenyan Asians, are citizens and residents of Kenya
)
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enclave until independence in 1963. In recent years, the suburb has been dominated by
Somali immigrants.
Military
The
Eastleigh Airport (Moi Air Base) is located in the northern parts of Eastleigh. The base was the site of the British Royal Air Force base known as RAF Eastleigh. The dual-use facility was also the main civilian international airport in Nairobi for the period 1943-1958 before the opening of the new airport at Embakasi (since named Jomo Kenyatta International Airport).
[Pirie, Gordon:]
Nairobi's airports -- windows on Kenya's colonial past and top-down planning
.
Since 2012, the neighbourhood and various areas across Kenya have experienced a number of
terrorist attacks
The following is a list of terrorist incidents that have not been carried out by a state or its forces (see state terrorism and state-sponsored terrorism). Assassinations are listed at List of assassinated people.
Definitions of terrori ...
linked to the
Al-Shabaab militant group, which were launched in retaliation for the
Kenyan military's deployment of troops in southern
Somalia
Somalia, , Osmanya script: ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐; ar, ุงูุตูู
ุงู, aแนฃ-แนขลซmฤl officially the Federal Republic of SomaliaThe ''Federal Republic of Somalia'' is the country's name per Article 1 of thProvisional Constituti ...
against the insurgents.
Administrative divisions
Administratively, Eastleigh is divided into Eastleigh North and Eastleigh South. Both are part of Nairobi's
Pumwani
Pumwani is an estate of Nairobi. In 2005 it had an estimated population of 29,616.
The Pumwani Maternity Hospital is located in Pumwani. It is the largest public maternity hospital in Kenya.
Many Kenyan freedom fighters are known to have lived ...
division.
Eastleigh is further partitioned into three areas:
*Section I - from Juja Road
*Section II - the commercial center
*Section III - situated towards Jogoo Road
Economy
![Eastlstkp2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/07/Eastlstkp2.png)
Eastleigh is mostly inhabited by Somalis, except for a few indigenous residents.
The suburb's commercial sector is likewise dominated by Somalis, with most businesses owned by the Somali community.
Businesses in the suburb range from small stalls to
shopping mall
A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department stores. The term "mall" originally meant a pedestrian promenade with shops along it (that is, the term was used to refe ...
s and night lodges. Products are typically imported from
Mogadishu
Mogadishu (, also ; so, Muqdisho or ; ar, ู
ูุฏูุดู ; it, Mogadiscio ), locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Oc ...
and
Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, ุฏุจู, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...
, and include
designer clothing
Designer clothing is expensive luxury clothing considered to be high quality and haute couture for the general public, made by, or carrying the label of, a well-known fashion designer.
Brands
Designer clothing is not always created by the foun ...
,
jewelry
Jewellery ( UK) or jewelry ( U.S.) consists of decorative items worn for personal adornment, such as brooches, rings, necklaces, earrings, pendants, bracelets, and cufflinks. Jewellery may be attached to the body or the clothes. From a w ...
and even camel milk.
Starting in late 2012, a mass exodus of Somali residents was reported after a prolonged period of harassment by the Kenyan police and public. Hundreds of Somali entrepreneurs withdrew between Sh10 to Sh40 billion from their bank accounts, with the intention of reinvesting most of that money back home in Somalia. The collective departures most affected Eastleigh's real estate sector, as landlords struggled to find Kenyans able to afford the high rates of the apartments and shops vacated by the Somalis.
Schools
There are a lot of schools located in Eastleigh and it's vicinity, they include;
* Eastleigh High School
* St Teresa Boys High School
* St Teresa Girls High School
* Pumwani Boys High School
* Maina Wajingi High school
Notable residents
![Eastlhusmoh7a](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Eastlhusmoh7a.png)
*
Hussein Mohamed
Hussein Mohamed ( so, Xuseen Maxamed, ar, ุญุณูู ู
ุญู
ุฏ) is a Somali entrepreneur. He is a leader of the Somali business community in Kenya
)
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, Vice Chairman of the Eastleigh Business Association.
*
Mohamed Amin, a famous
photojournalist born in Eastleigh.
References
Eastleigh coordinates
External links
Eastleigh, Nairobi - The Facts*The Standard, February 11, 2007
''Eastleigh: A fast growing city within a city''{{nairobi, state=collapsed
1921 establishments in Kenya
Asian-Kenyan culture in Nairobi
Ethnic enclaves in Africa
Populated places in Kenya
Somalian diaspora in Africa
Suburbs of Nairobi