This archive report was first published on 11 October 2019.
McDonald Mariga, a Kenyan football darling turned politician, has a heart of gold. In 2008, he moved his parents from their humble abode in Land Mawe to the upscale Lavington suburb, where he bought a luxurious mansion for them.
Land Mawe, located on the edge of Nairobi's CBD next to Nairobi Railway Station, is an old city estate with several numbered block buildings. The estate has a high demand for accommodation, with landlords charging up to Sh7,000 per month for a single room.
However, the living conditions in Land Mawe are far from ideal. The rooms are often cramped, stuffy, and poorly lit, with toilets emitting a pungent smell. The drainage and sewerage system is also a mess.
But despite these challenges, access to health facilities has improved the living standards of residents in the area. Security is also good.
As Noah Wanyama, a resident of Land Mawe, told Citizen TV, 'I used to live in a thatched house where it rains and you could hear the rain beating the roof. Now I'm happy to live in this house.'
