Muthaiga: From Sacred Forest to Leafy Suburb

History does an interesting thing by showing us what came before us and how different elements around us have changed over time. One Nairobi-based neighbourhood whose historical roots can still be found by speaking with the residents and through the local country club within the neighbourhood is Muthaiga Estate. 

Once a sacred place 

Before Muthaiga became a residential area, it was part of Karura Forest. Karura Forest, which is one of the locations that borders Muthaiga, was a natural site and therefore sacred. In fact, the name Muthaiga comes from a tree presumably common in the area, known as a medicinal tree among the Kikuyu. 

The value of this greenery zone was seen even by the early European settlers. They prohibited any development from taking place within the forest.  

Then a thriving farmstead 

This however changed when British administrator John Ainsworth gave about 1,600 acres of land to fellow countryman Frederick Baker to establish a dairy farm. The agreement was that Baker would be the main dairy product supplier to Nairobi residents.  

(It’s worth noting that Baker had no prior experience in dairy production, rather in cotton and textiles. We’ll allow the mind to wander about how or why he was chosen for this role.) 

And so, in 1901 Baker, his wife and son arrived in Nairobi ready to take on a new business venture. Turns out his wife – Marie Vera – was the driving force to the dairy’s success thanks to her creative and innovative mindset. She made arrangements for the purchase of modern equipment and the dairy began to thrive. Her determination and dedication to this business became evident when she became the main supplier of dairy products in the protectorate. 

The change in ownership 

But managing 1,600 acres of land became a problem two years down the line. With a mental attitude inclined towards business, Marie sold off about 500 acres of the land to James Morrison, a retired British Army captain.  

Almost a decade later, she sold the remainder of the property to another European with a similar surname: Archie Morrison. Marie and her husband moved back to England, leaving Archie Morrison with plenty of land to continue running a farm. 

By this second decade of the century, the prohibition on development lifted. Morrison was quick to look into how to transform the land. He settled on developing it into a residential area and contracted an architectural firm named Henderson and Ward for the project to commence. 

Preparing for development 

The plan drawn had about 150 households in mind, with each residential plot ranging between 10 and 50 acres. The estate would be equipped with the country club and a golf course. The target market was retired army officers and the inclusion of a club was to add to the list of clubs within the Nairobi area, as the only other club was the Nairobi club.  

As part of the development, Archie Morrison cut out tracks that became roads. By 1918 Muthaiga was a lush township – not considered part of Nairobi; but this changed a decade later when it became amalgamated into the Nairobi Municipality. 

Muthaiga Country Club in 1960

The seasons of Muthaiga 

Still, Europeans were the residents of Muthaiga up until the 70s when the first African homeowners settled here. They were primarily government officials who were considered the elite. 

All these events happened a century ago and today, Muthaiga Estate maintains a certain superiority. Even though the neighbourhood now has an assortment of races residing in the different homes with manicured lawns, Muthaiga still maintains some old norms that continue to be upheld by the Muthaiga Residents Association.  

For instance, there is a restriction on developing apartments in the area. However, more than three times the number of people Muthaiga was initially designed for live in the area. 

What you’ll find today 

Today, a drive through the roads in Muthaiga shows you that it’s a residential area for a number of ambassadors, and is complete with a children’s hospital and two shopping centres. 

Over to you… was Muthaiga a place you lived or frequently visited? Perhaps you attended the local school – Muthaiga Primary School. Share with us your memories of this neighbourhood.