Secret behind the names of 10 estates on Thika Road Revealed

Thika
Road, also referred to as the Thika Superhighway, is a controlled-access,
eight-lane highway in Kenya which was completed in the year 2009
and has become a major contributor to Kenyan economy.

Thika
Road passes through a number of significant satellite towns to Nairobi,
including Ruaraka, Kasarani, Kiambu Town, Githurai, Ruiru, Juja and Thika.

Although
the region has several leafy suburbs and unofficial villages, few people are
aware of the fascinating stories that gave rise to the names of the well-known
estates.

In
African culture, names have a deeper significance, and these estates’ names were
decided upon with the help of white immigrants or the native Kikuyu ethnic
community.

1.  
Juja

The property was owned by Lord and Lady McMillan, who
also gave the renowned McMillan
Memorial Library to Nairobi. The Nettlefold Family, stockholders in Guest,
Keane, and Nettlefold, formerly held the estate as a farm.

Juja Farm was originally known as “Weru wa
Ndarugu” (Ndarugu Plains). Lord McMillan later changed the name after
purchasing a ranch in the area and bringing two West African statues named
“Ju” and “Ja” to the area.

Now Juja Farm is one of the fastest growing in the
Nairobi Metropolitan Area. It is one of  the
top six areas to buy most affordable land in Kenya. It has increased
interest of many people who look to invest in that area with commercial and
residential plots.

2.  
Witeithie

The Kikuyu word “Witeithie” means “help
yourself” and is derived from them. After independence, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta
visited the Mt. Kenya area, distributing land that had once belonged to White
settlers. The term was created by a group of ladies who purchased land after
independence.

That land, which was formerly owned by a white farmer,
was given to the Nyakinyua Women Group by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s government who
entertained him. 

The land was split among the group members, and each
was given a portion with the instruction, “Witeithie Gwaka Gwaku (Help
yourself build a home).”

3.  
Muthaiga

Muthaiga is the name of a tree whose bark was used as
medicine by the Kikuyu.

Muthaiga was formerly a part of Karura Forest before
becoming a residential area.  Because Africans used to worship in the
woods, this particular forest has a special sense of holiness.

The name Muthaiga is derived from the name of a
medicinal tree that was widespread in the region and was well-known to the
Kikuyu for its medicinal benefits. John Ainsworth, the Nairobi sub commissioner
in 1901—equivalent to a County Commissioner in the current system—was assigned
the responsibility of managing the luxuriant estate.

Muthaiga is now one of the top
ten expensive places to buy land in Nairobi.

Muthaiga is now the greatest place to live in Nairobi
due of its excellent connecting roads that connect you to various estates more
quickly. For example, Westlands, Runda, and the city center.

4.  
Allsopp’s

The estate was named after one of Kenya’s best
breweries. A White settler couple founded this brewery. The Allsopp’s
Brewery building, which was located next to the General Service Unit’s
headquarters, was managed by the family.

The Kenya Breweries, which had been founded in
Nairobi’s Ruaraka plains in 1922 by George and Charles Hurst, two brothers who
had originally been based in Kitale as farmers and believed their future lay in
a brewery, were one of its big competitors. Taylor and Company brewery was
established in 1938 and was one of these.

The East African Breweries Group was created through
the merger of EABL and Allsopp (East Africa) Ltd.

5.  
Zimmerman

Zimmerman Estate is located Between Kasarani and
Githurai 44, off Thika Road. It is a perfect example of both the good and the
worst of this metropolis.

The estate has the name of Paul Zimmerman, a
well-known German biologist who resided nearby during the colonial era. On
Nairobi’s northern plains, he constructed the second-largest taxidermy factory.

The Zimmerman Estate is located on the same property
where the business first gained notoriety prior to the national hunting
prohibition in 1977, which left it without any animals.

6.  
Roysambu

Roysambu one of seventeen constituencies in Nairobi County.
It was created prior to the 2013 general election, when Kasarani Constituency
was divided into three constituencies: Kasarani, Roysambu and Ruaraka.

During colonial times, the estate was referred to as
the “Royal Suburbs.” However, the African residents of Nairobi gave
it the name “Roysambu” since they pronunced it as Roy-Sabu.

7.  
Thika

Thika is an industrial town and a major commerce place
in Kiambu County, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 42 kilometers, Northeast of
Nairobi, near the confluence of the Thika and Chania Rivers.

The Maasai word sika, which meaning to rub something
off an edge, gave rise to the name Thika. However, because of a nearby river,
the locals called it Thiririka.

The Tana River has a tributary that is today known as
the Thika River. If this etymological theory is correct, the town’s original
name was impacted by the river before being changed.

8.  
Mathare

The property has a long history. The 1920s saw the
arrival of its first residents. Due to its people’ involvement in the
anti-colonial Mau Mau uprising, Mathare became known for its opposition to the
colonial rule.

Although the meaning of its name is unclear, some have
suggested that European settlers may have dropped off African laborers there
and ordered them to “go to their motherland.” The place was called
Mathare by the black Kenyans since they were unable to pronounce the English
words due to language limitations. According to some, the word
“Mathare” is derived from the Kikuyu word for draceana trees.

9.  
Ruaraka

Ruaraka is located northwest
of Kariobangi, and northwest of Baba Dogo off Outering Road.Similar to
Ruaka, Ruaraka’s full form, “ruui rwa aka,” roughly translates to
“river of ladies.” A river that flows through the community inspired
the naming of the town.

Women undergoing initiation would wash in the river
the morning of their circumcision as part of the customary Kikuyu traditions.
Although the country currently forbids the ancient practice, the name remains.

10.        
Ruiru

After the railway was built near to the town, Ruiru
was first a community of coffee farms. Ruiru got its name from a  river
that runs through it. 

The phrase’s full name, “ruui ruiru,” means
“black river.” The dark cotton soil that entered the river at times
of heavy rain caused the river to turn black during specific seasons.

Now Ruiru is the
fast-growing city to invest your money. Development of Tatu city, Kenyatta
university, and Brookside Dairy has made this place good for residential and
commercial investments.

Read more about these estate here..

Conclusion

The population that lives along Thika Highway makes up
the market for use of all the land, plots, and flats along the superhighway,
which is the major reason why you should look for a plot for sale and a house
for sale there. Premier Agent has
thousands of properties located along Thika Road

Important to read:The
top 7 real estate listing and Agency sites in Kenya