A Growing Middle Class and Real Estate Development: Spatial change and social conflicts in the densification of Kileleshwa, Nairobi

Kileleshwa, located five kilometres from the city centre of Nairobi has witnessed phenomenal real estate transformation in the form of high-rise apartments replacing the bungalows that were originally built in the area. The neighbourhood was established as one of Nairobi’s high-end neighbourhoods then mainly occupied by high-ranking civil servants. The dwellings were principally set on spacious plots with compounds of beautiful lawns, ostentatious trees and flowers. Kileleshwa has gained the reputation of a smart, upper-middle-class Kenyan suburb, and expatriates find it a safe, tranquil and stress-free area. The growing middle class in Nairobi has led to high demand at the top end of the housing market, piling pressure on land available for redevelopment and driving up prices. A descriptive research design was used in this study with the main research questions being: who is the Kileleshwa middle class? How does the middle-income group in Kileleshwa influence the area’s spatial transformation? What are the resultant effects of the transformation taking place in Kileleshwa? Who are the losers and beneficiaries of this transformation? We show that Kenya's political and economic transformation since independence has been mirrored in the social and spatial landscape of Kileleshwa. We also show that current transformations in Kileleshwa portray a middle class that demands a share of the city's best amenities, creating social tensions with the original wealthy property owners. We also unravel the power relations among the actors involved in the transformation of Kileleshwa and the implications of these power relations that as manifested in the tensions among various actors.