Kiambu begins to wake up from long slumber

Land grabbing has also seen Kiambu lose many public utilities such as the bus terminal.

Kangangi market in the middle of the town remains in a sorry state despite pledges by successive governments to transform it.

In 2016, for instance, the devolved government announced that the World Bank, through the Nairobi Metropolitan Service Improvement Programme, had set aside Sh103 million to modernise the market. The promise is yet to be fulfilled.

Critics blame initial planning for denying the town the space for expansion.

Kiambu Golf Club, the prison, and other amenities occupy huge tracts of land. Planners say the prison and the club should be on the outskirts of Kiambu to give the town room to expand.

Mr Josphat Ngamau, owner of Zoom Real Property Agency, says for Kiambu to develop, all the grabbed land should be reclaimed. He adds that there is a need for proper planning.

There are, however, efforts to modernise the town.

Recently, Governor Ferdinand Waititu launched a bus park, a modern market, the building of a bypass which links Kiambu town and Kirigiti road, as well as street lights, in a Sh160 million World Bank-funded project.

The ultra-modern Sh800 million Kiambu Mall, on half an acre plot, was recently opened. The four-storey mall with a leasable area of more than 154,000 square feet is already operational, with Choppies Supermarket as the anchor tenant.