Kileleshwa Explained

Official Name:	Kileleshwa
Pushpin Map:	Kenya
Pushpin Label Position:	bottom
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location of Kileleshwa in Kenya
Coordinates:	-1.2769°N 36.7931°W
Subdivision Type:	Country
Subdivision Name:	Kenya
Subdivision Type1:	County
Subdivision Name1:	Nairobi City
Subdivision Type2:	Sub-county
Subdivision Name2:	Westlands
Unit Pref:	Imperial metric
Area Total Km2:	5.3
Population Total:	22216
Population As Of:	2019
Population Density Km2:	4229

Kileleshwa is a residential neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is located approximately 5.2km (03.2miles) from Nairobi's central business district. The neighbourhood was originally a low-density leafy suburb but after a change in zoning regulations in the early 2000s, there has been significant mushrooming of high-rise flats in the area. It hosts mainly the upper middle class segment of Nairobi residents.

Location

Kileleshwa is located approximately 5km (03miles) west of Nairobi's central business district, within the larger sub-county of Westlands. It is east of Lavington; south of Muthangari, and west of Kilimani, mainly separated by the Kirichwa River.

Overview

Kileleshwa hosts a significant population of the upper middle income population of Nairobi.^[1] The neighbourhood has historically been primarily low-density residential, but since the early 2000s, Kileleshwa and its environs have become increasingly high-density mixed residential and commercial; both retail and offices, due to the zoning laws in the area being changed.^{[2] [3] [4]} Some of the high-rise buildings have been built contrary to the county's bylaws and have been characterised as vertical slums due to them burdening the existing laid infrastructure.^{[5] [6]} Residents of Kilimani and Kileleshwa have also raised concerns about the increasing number of nightclubs in the areas.^[7]

In March 2024, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja proposed a re-zoning that would allow the construction of buildings up to 75 floors in Kilimani, Kilelelshwa, and Lavington.^[8]

Kileleshwa, an electoral ward within the Dagoretti North Constituency, borrows its name from the estate, encompassing other estates and neighbourhoods such as: Chiromo, Groganville, Kileleshwa, Muthangari and Riverside.^[9]

As per the 2019 census, Kileleshwa had a population of 22,216, with a population density of 4,229/km² in a land area of 5.3km².^[10]

Points of interest

SchoolsThe Kenya High School is located in Kileleshwa.^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ideal areas to live in Nairobi; For different incomes . 2024-07-16 . www.cytonn.com . en.
2. Web site: 4 July 2013 . Nairobi's leafy suburbs mutate in office boom . Lydia . Limbe . Nairobi . The Standard (Kenya). 11 November 2022.
3. Web site: 30 March 2022. About Kileleshwa . Hauzisha. 11 November 2022.
4. Web site: Why Kileleshwa is becoming like Kayole, Umoja . Peter . Muiruri . Nairobi . The Standard. 11 November 2022.
5. Web site: Mugambi . Hassan . Vertical Slums: How New Crop Of Apartments In Kilimani, Kileleshwa Is Affecting Nairobi’s Infrastructure . Citizen Digital . 10 May 2023 . 30 April 2023.
6. Web site: Wambui . Mary . How Kilimani, Kileleshwa are fast turning into Nairobi's new 'slums' . Nation . 10 May 2023 . 6 February 2023.
7. Web site: We can't sleep, city residents decry noise from nightclubs . 2024-03-29 . The Star . en-KE.
8. Web site: 2024-03-25 . Expect 75-storey buildings in Nairobi if Assembly approves zoning framework . 2024-04-02 . Citizen Digital . en-KE.
9. Web site: Kileleshwa County assembly ward . Nairobi . Dagoretti North CDF. 11 November 2022.
10. Web site: 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census Volume II: Distribution of Population by Administrative Units . 12 December 2022 . Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. 251.
11. Web site: Kenya High School fee structure, entry marks, address, contacts. Tuko. 11 November 2022.