Mwiki is a low-income neighbourhood in the counties of
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 ...
and
Kiambu
Kiambu is a town in Kiambu County, Kenya within the Nairobi Metropolitan Region. It is from the capital Nairobi. It has an population of 147,870. It is the capital of the Kiambu County, which bounds the northern border of Nairobi. Other proxi ...
. It is approximately northeast of the central business district of Nairobi. Due to its transregional nature, the part of Mwiki that is within Nairobi is referred as Kasarani Mwiki while the other portion domiciled in Kiambu is referred as Githurai Mwiki.
The two Mwiki regions are separated by the Gatharaini River (Kasarani River) as it flows downstream in an easterly direction to join the Nairobi River.
Location
Mwiki is located approximately northeast of Nairobi's central business district. Kasarani Mwiki is straddled by the Kasarani-Mwiki Road, off
Thika Road
Thika Thika (pronounced ˆÎ¸ika is an industrial town and a major commerce hub in Kiambu County, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 42 kilometres (26 mi) Northeast of Nairobi, near the confluence of the Thika and Chania Rivers. Although Thika town is ...
. Githurai-Mwiki is considered part of the larger Githurai 45 area. Electorally, Mwiki is placed under two constituencies: with Githurai Mwiki being under
Ruiru
Ruiru is a municipality and sub-county in Kiambu County. It sits within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan region. According to the 2019 national population census, Ruiru is the 6th largest urban center in Kenya by population.http://housingfinanc ...
, while Kasarani Mwiki under
Kasarani
Kasarani is a commercial and residential neighbourhood in Nairobi. Kasarani is also used in reference to the city's sub-county with the same name, which spans through neighbourhoods in the northeastern areas of Nairobi. Located within the larg ...
. Mwiki also falls into two administrative areas of Nairobi and Kiambu: Kasarani Mwiki in Nairobi's Kasarani Sub-county, while Githurai Mwiki is administratively managed by the Kiambu's Githurai Sub-county.
Overview
Mwiki is popularly known in two ways, depending on location: Githurai Mwiki and Kasarani Mwiki. Githurai Mwiki is generally a
high-density housing
An apartment (American English), or flat (British English, Indian English, South African English), is a self-contained housing unit (a type of residential real estate) that occupies part of a building, generally on a single story. There are ...
and
low-income
Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little
neighbourhood with closely built structures. Residents especially in Githurai Mwiki struggle with limited or poor infrastructure such as schools, due to the growing population. This led to the government to split Ruiru Sub-county into two: Ruiru and Githurai sub-counties. Mwiki in general has struggled with poor roads, that deem the area inaccessible.
Mwiki has in the past also struggled with insecurity. It gained a reputation for being one of the breeding grounds of the Mungiki sect.
Mwiki wards
Mwiki produces two electoral wards with the same name in the counties of Kiambu and Nairobi City: Mwiki Ward in Kiambu is one of the wards in Ruiru Constituency, while Mwiki Ward in Nairobi is one of the five electoral wards within Kasarani Constituency.