No Kibandas Please! A Nairobian's Guide to Living in the Middle-Class Suburbs

This article is produced in partnership with Tushop, to celebrate the launch of Jipange, a service that allows you to automate shopping and delivery of your household essentials.

Nairobi is a beautiful place to live and work. In many ways, Nairobi is a melting pot of many cultures, perspectives and lifestyles. 

A number of residents came here by bus from upcountry and built a life in the city - one hustle at a time. For this cohort, there may have been a couple of encounters with cunning residents - a con here, a sour deal there - but, eventually, most get the hang of things. 

Then there are also some Nairobians coming in from Europe and North America and other diaspora - maybe from studies or with some work experience. They come with big ideas eager to thrive in the city under the sun. 

And then there are the lifelong residents of the city (or “born taos”) who are working hard to better their life by upgrading their address or even leave the city at some point in their old age. 

The common dream with all these; the dwellers, the hustlers, the expats, and the born taos is a desire to have a better quality of life each dawning day. 

And this higher quality of life is perhaps best represented by life in the Nairobi middle-class suburbs.

From Westlands, Kileleshwa, Parklands, Lavington - and even the new suburbs in Syokimau, Nyayo estate, or Athi River - the soft suburban life has the allure of order, tranquillity, social networks, and all the latest social trends. 

In this article, we explore some of the defining features of living in some of the typical Nairobi middle-class suburbs.

Work-life Balance

The typical resident of a Nairobi middle class suburb cares about setting clear boundaries between work and personal life. 

And while achieving perfect boundaries may not always be possible, to truly claim to be a Nairobi suburbian you have to be keen on balancing work and personal time effectively.

And this is in order to create time for other aspects of life that make life enjoyable such as spending time with children and loved ones, hobbies and social activities including volunteering. 

Equally, a good work-life balance is needed to maintain an upward trajectory financially which is necessary to preserve the fleeting middle class status. It ensures opportunities for networking, side projects such as consulting or other investments routes that bring in passive income. 

You will find the middle class Nairobian negotiating for flexible working hours, hybrid work options, waiver of non-competes, overtime pay and other benefits that preserve their ability to focus on beneficial activities outside work.

Convenience

Can you really claim to be living a middle class suburban lifestyle if you still have to do routine tasks for yourself? 

One unique feature of middle class Nairobi estates is the clear addressing system/signage that facilitates doorstep deliveries. This is in addition to the provision of on-site services including power back-up systems, security, landscaping and recreational facilities. 

And this is because time, and the ability to own and channel it to productive activities of one’s choosing is what sets apart the middle class Nairobian from what can be termed as the everyday hustler. 

The automation of routine tasks to free up time for productivity or leisure is a priority. For instance, the entry of automated shopping assistants such as Jipange by Tushop, is enabling hassle free household shopping for residents who are keen on saving time. 

With Jipange, you select the household consumables you need on a regular basis, choose your preferred delivered schedule - weekly or monthly - and get them delivered to your doorstep each time for no extra charge. 

A shopping basket is being dropped at a doorstep somewhere every Friday or Saturday or every Nth day of the month - because one would rather spend time with their kids rather than hours queuing in a supermarket every time milk or eggs have run out. 

Desire for Healthier Living 

A common aspiration that comes with a middle-class status is an intention to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Perhaps this is as a result of a competitive lifestyle and the realisation that being in good shape physically and mentally will be a necessary ingredient for the next phase of financial success. 

On any morning, you will find tens of residents - both the young and the old - on a brisk jog through the leafy streets or joining forces at local gyms. From yoga classes to weekend hikes in the outskirts of the city, working out becomes not just a physical endeavour but a social one too. 

Some are successful at it while others are in a constant state of flux - oscillating between good habits and falling for among others, junk food that is easily available within minutes. 

The successful ones are more likely those who succeed at meal planning, often by ensuring the healthy ingredients such as greens and fruits are regularly available to them without much hustle. 

d) Networking 

Networking is a big thing in Nairobi suburbia. It might not seem so when you visit and neighbours are certainly not borrowing each other salt as is the case with the “flats”. 

It is a different kind of networking. From book clubs to prayer groups, birthday parties, and estate welfare groups. It is here that business and professional knowledge is shared. 

From investments with the best returns, the best schools, to that new app that is helping mothers revolutionise their household shopping experience. 

e) No Vibandas, Please!

Kibandas are a common feature in Nairobi but they are not as celebrated in the suburbs. Residents here like to see their neighbourhood as a purview of order and tranquillity, there is no room for unplanned infrastructure. 

Open spaces are jogging tracks and pitches for kids to play, not for random wooden structures. The rent you’ll be quoted to be a resident or a quick peek at the property index may explain this just a little.  

Rather than make a long trip to the open-air market for your veggies, fruits and other supplies, household shopping is progressively being done from the comfort of the laptop or mobile app.

And, make no mistake, the suburban resident is also keen to get competitive prices, but will not compromise on quality. That is why Jipange by Tushop comes as a complete package. 

With Jipange, you get quality farm produce sourced directly from the farm on the day of delivery, guaranteeing freshness. Other households on your shopping basket such as toiletries, sugar, foods and beverages are sourced from producers with prices at par or lower than your supermarket. 

Jipange uniquely allows you to automate the shopping and delivery of your household essentials. 

Rather than spend hours at the supermarket or in the open-air market, you just identify the pattern with which you consume household essentials.  

Then you set up an automated order (Jipange) on the Tushop App that will be delivered to your doorstep every week or every month as per your needs. 

And it’s not about paying more for this orderly life - you only pay a one-off delivery fee of Ksh99 and all subsequent deliveries for your Jipange are free!

What’s more? You don’t have to be living in the suburbs to have a taste of convenience. You can set up your Jipange here and get a feel of a stress-free organised living.