From Eastlando's past glory to Pipeline chaos

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From Eastlando's past glory to Pipeline chaos
A section of the houses in Umoja area. ([Collins Kweyu,Standard]

When we first arrived in Nairobi in the 90s, many estates, particularly in Eastlands (commonly referred to as Eastlando), were in fairly good shape with well-planned buildings.

There were no haphazardly constructed skyscrapers, poor infrastructure, or overcrowded streets full of stray dogs, lactating pigs and ducks.

These estates were where most rural men and women experienced their first stay in Nairobi, as they were affordable and easily accessible to Nairobi and key places of work, such as the Industrial area.

These were the estates where newcomers to Nairobi would sleep on cements bags with just one blanket and call it a night, a place where you didn't need cutlery, a jiko or stove to cook anything.

As early as 5 am, mandazi and tea hawkers were out, selling a piece of mandazi and a cup of tea, with a miserly amount of milk, for a mere 10 shillings.

The only real need for a kerosene stove was to warm bathing water or perhaps make  black tea when a visitor came knocking.

Today, those of us who first landed in Pipeline Estate or Eastleigh might be forgiven for thinking we've entered a small Dubai in Africa, where houses are built on top of each other. The only difference is that in Dubai, construction is orderly and pavements are well done.

A friend of mine, Robert Biu, recently went to visit his girlfriend at Pipeline Estate. It took him a while before he could figure out where her house was. Robert, from Ndeiya village south of the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, is a true villager, both in colour and demeanor.

Biu boarded Embassava Sacco Omni bus and alighted at Pipeline stage, where he started walking towards the towering buildings.

“This place is not for the faint-hearted; it's for the strong-willed and those resolute enough to beat all the odds. The last time I was here, there was little order; today, it's a spectacle to behold and wonder,” Biu lamented

Biu was greeted by raw sewage snaking along the poorly constructed, open sewer tunnels, with ducks swimming, stirring, and foraging through the murky waters.

“I don’t know where pigs, goats, and ducks come from in such estates, but what's  more nauseating are the homeless dogs, some suckling their young ones right in the middle of the pavement. Before you even wonder what's happening, wild rats are scurrying past you as if there's a rally championship going on,” Biu noted.

Robert's girlfriend lived on top of one of the buildings, and most of the buildings lacked lifts. The communal bathroom and toilets were at the far end of  the floors, with some shared between several floors.

“Here, you ascend the stairs whilst dodging all sorts of wet clothes hanging and dripping water on you. The stairs are more or less like climbing a mountain, and the more the tenants hang their clothes, the darker the staircase becomes, even during day time,” Biu said.

Robert notes that if you can live in "Paipuu" as the estate is commonly referred to, then you are among the toughest individuals, second only to the Kenyans who reside in North Eastern.

“Although the houses have electricity, when power goes out here, the small rental rooms are plunged into total darkness, even during day. That's is why candles are an essential part of household necessities,” Biu quipped.

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