Westlands
Encyclopedia
Westlands is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi
, the capital and largest city in Kenya
.
of Nairobi
. The coordinates of Westlands are:01 16 12S, 36 48 36E (Latitude:-1.2700; Longitude:36.8100).
, more businesses have relocated to Westlands and Upper Hill
, where land and office space are more readily available and less expensive. Westlands was initially considered part of the Parklands
area and straddled what is now Waiyaki Way, originally the Kenya Uganda Railway. The area has been nicknamed Westie by the youth of Nairobi.
Westlands is also an electoral constituency, the Westlands Constituency
. It has the same borders with Westlands division.
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
, the capital and largest city in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
.
Location
Westlands is located 3.1 kilometres (1.9 mi), by road, northwest of the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
of Nairobi
Nairobi
Nairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
. The coordinates of Westlands are:01 16 12S, 36 48 36E (Latitude:-1.2700; Longitude:36.8100).
Overview
Westlands was a residential neighborhood of Nairobi during the colonial period which ended in 1963. During the 1990s and early 2000s, as land and office space became scarce and exorbitantly priced in the central business districtCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
, more businesses have relocated to Westlands and Upper Hill
Upper Hill, Nairobi
Upper Hill is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.-Location:Upper Hill is located by road west of the central business district of Nairobi...
, where land and office space are more readily available and less expensive. Westlands was initially considered part of the Parklands
Parklands, Nairobi
Parklands, Nairobi, commonly referred to simply as Parklands, is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. It is divided into numbered avenues. The name arises from the proximity of the area to City Park, Nairobi....
area and straddled what is now Waiyaki Way, originally the Kenya Uganda Railway. The area has been nicknamed Westie by the youth of Nairobi.
Landmarks
In Westlands or near the boundaries of the neighbourhood, there are several landmarks, including the following:- The Sarit CentreSarit CentreThe Sarit Centre is located just off Waiyaki Way, it is Kenya’s first, biggest and busiest shopping mall. Opened in 1983, it is located in the affluent suburb of Westlands of Nairobi. Its “City Within A City” concept of providing everything under one roof has since irrevocably changed retailing...
Shopping Mall - The NakumattNakumattNakumatt is a Kenyan supermarket chain. Nakumatt is an abbreviation for Nakuru Mattresses.-Overview:, it has twenty-seven stores across Kenya and employs over 4,000 people...
Ukay Shopping Mall - The WestgateWestgate-Companies:* Westgate Resorts, a real estate company and timeshare company* Westgate Department Stores, the Department store division of Anglia Regional Co-operative Society in the United Kingdom-United Kingdom:* Westgate, County Durham* Westgate, Gloucester...
shopping mall - The M.P.Shah Hospital - A private hospital
- Unga House - An office high-rise building
- Mpaka Road - Many businesses have offices on this street
- USAID Towers - The headquarters of USAID in Kenya
- The High Commission of BotswanaBotswanaBotswana, officially the Republic of Botswana , is a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. The citizens are referred to as "Batswana" . Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name after becoming independent within the Commonwealth on 30 September 1966...
to Kenya - The Embassy of NorwayNorwayNorway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to Kenya - The Embassy of SwedenSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
to Kenya - Westlands Office Park
- Westlands Primary School
- A branch of ABC Bank (Kenya)ABC Bank (Kenya)ABC Bank , whose full name is African Banking Corporation Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four licensed commercial banks in the country.-Overview:...
- A branch of Catholic Relief ServicesCatholic Relief ServicesCatholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
- A branch of Commercial Bank of AfricaCommercial Bank of AfricaCommercial Bank of Africa is a financial services provider headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. CBA is one of the forty-four licensed commercial banks in the country.-Overview:...
- A branch of Equatorial Commercial BankEquatorial Commercial BankEquatorial Commercial Bank ', is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator. ECB is a member of the Sameer Group of Companies.-History:...
- A branch of FidelityBankFidelityBankFidelityBank, whose full name is Fidelity Commercial Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the country's banking regulator.-Overview:...
- A branch of First Community BankFirst Community BankFirst Community Bank , is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.-History:...
- A branch of Giro Commercial BankGiro Commercial BankGiro Commercial Bank , whose full name is Giro Commercial Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.-History:...
- A branch of Guardian BankGuardian BankGuardian Bank, whose full name is Guardian Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.-History:...
- A branch of I&M Bank
- A branch of NIC BankNIC BankNIC Bank, whose full name is National Industrial Credit Bank, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the country's banking regulator.-Overview:...
- The main branch of Oriental Commercial BankOriental Commercial BankOriental Commercial Bank , whose full name is Oriental Commercial Bank Limited, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator...
- The main branch of Paramount Universal BankParamount Universal BankParamount Universal Bank , whose full name is Paramount Universal Bank Limited, but is often referred to as Paramount Bank, is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four commercial banks licensed by the Central Bank of Kenya, the national banking regulator.-Overview:PUB is a small...
- A branch of Postbank Kenya
- A branch of Prime Bank (Kenya)Prime Bank (Kenya)Prime Bank Limited , commonly known as Prime Bank Kenya, but also referred to as Prime Bank , is a commercial bank in Kenya. It is one of the forty-four licensed commercial banks in the country.-Overview:...
- A branch of Standard Chartered BankStandard Chartered BankStandard Chartered PLC is a multinational financial services company headquartered in London, United Kingdom with operations in more than seventy countries...
- A branch of Woolworth Stores
- The Nairobi Institute of Technology\
- Frepac Tech (The headquarters)
Westlands division
Apart from being a commercial centre, Westlands is also one of the eight administrative divisions in Nairobi. The division consists of the following six subdivisions (locations):- ParklandsParklands, NairobiParklands, Nairobi, commonly referred to simply as Parklands, is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. It is divided into numbered avenues. The name arises from the proximity of the area to City Park, Nairobi....
- KitisuruKitisuruKitisuru is a suburb of Nairobi, the capital city and largest metropolitan area in Kenya.-Location:Kitisuru is located approximately , by road, northwest of the central business district of Nairobi. The coordinates of Kitisuru are:01 12 24S, 36 46 08E .-Overview:Kitisuru is an upscale residential...
- HighridgeHighridgeHighridge is a residential estate in Nairobi, located in northern parts of the larger Parklands estate. Administratively, Highridge is a subdivision of the Westlands division of Nairobi....
- KangemiKangemiKangemi is a slum in Kenya. It is on the road connecting Nairobi with Naivasha and on the outskirts of Nairobi. It likely has more than 100,000 residents. Kangemi is in a small valley....
- KilimaniKilimaniKilimani is a residential area in Nairobi's Westlands administrative division. It is also an electoral ward of Nairobi City Council and Westlands Constituency . Kilimani is located west of central Nairobi and adjacent Upper Hill estate...
- LavingtonLavington, NairobiLavington is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. It is a high income residential estate located northwest of the city centre. Lavington belongs to the Westlands administrative division of Nairobi...
Westlands is also an electoral constituency, the Westlands Constituency
Westlands Constituency
Westlands Constituency is an electoral constituency in Kenya. It is one of eight constituencies of Nairobi Province. It consists of western and northwestern areas of Nairobi. Westlands constituency has common boundaries with Westlands Division of Nairobi. The entire constituency is located within...
. It has the same borders with Westlands division.
Deep Sea Settlement
Within the Westlands division lies the Deep Sea Settlement. This is a shanty town of approximately 7,000 inhabitants. In 2005 a private firm, with police support, began bulldozing homes, an act the Kenyan high court deemed illegal, due to a law allowing people land rights after squatting there for more than 12 years. Combined with this land-rights issue, poverty is rife and is exacerbated by the area's poor sanitation.See also
- Parklands, NairobiParklands, NairobiParklands, Nairobi, commonly referred to simply as Parklands, is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya. It is divided into numbered avenues. The name arises from the proximity of the area to City Park, Nairobi....
- Upper Hill, NairobiUpper Hill, NairobiUpper Hill is a neighborhood in the city of Nairobi, the capital and largest city in Kenya.-Location:Upper Hill is located by road west of the central business district of Nairobi...
- NairobiNairobiNairobi is the capital and largest city of Kenya. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi County. The name "Nairobi" comes from the Maasai phrase Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to "the place of cool waters". However, it is popularly known as the "Green City in the Sun" and is...
- Eastleigh, NairobiEastleigh, NairobiEastleigh is a suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. It is located east of the Central business district. Predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants, it has been described as "Little Mogadishu", as well as "a country within a country with its own economy" on account of its robust business...