A bird’s eye view of Kenya’s capital by day shows an extensive amount of foliage covering the city’s landscape. Even with the tall skyscrapers and concrete pavements that line its streets, Nairobi is a unique fusion of urban living and scenic wilderness. Seven kilometers south of the CBD is one of the places where the city’s flora and fauna reside: Nairobi National Park. As it stands, this thriving metropolitan holds bragging rights for being the only city in the world with a national park. Lions, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, and many other wildlife call the park home. But this isn’t the only green spot within the capital. Ngong Forest Reserve is located not too far from the park itself, and Karura Forest sits to the north of the city centre.
Back at the CBD, there are various spaces that accurately depict Nairobi as a melting pot of Kenyan cultures, but no other place does that as well as the Maasai Market. This open-air market brings people together not only to promote commerce, but to shine a light on the diversity within the nation. The market is named after the Maasai tribe, whose artefacts such as shukas and beaded jewellery are available for purchase within this setting. Other items that similarly dominate Maasai Market’s retail scene include handwoven bags and baskets, wooden and soapstone carvings, and paintings depicting different Kenyan landscapes.
With the exception of Mondays, the Market is accessible on different days at different locations within Nairobi. On Tuesdays, vendors set up their work stations on Kijabe Street, opposite Norkfolk Hotel. They then relocate to Capital Centre on Mombasa Road the next day. On Thursdays, the Junction Mall hosts these local artisans and the Village Market does the same on Fridays. Of these locations, the most popular site opens on Saturdays and Sundays at the Nairobi Law Courts parking lot in the heart of the city centre. Because of its central location as well as the convenience of weekend shopping, hundreds of people visit the CBD market every week. Whether you make a purchase or simply walk around taking in the vibrant items on display, a visit to Maasai Market is a trip worth making.
Life in Nairobi is fast paced, but on 19th December 2019, several Kenyan artists found a way to get people to slow people down and take in their surroundings. Clad in jeans and white t-shirts that said, “My mark, My city,” these artists got to work using their paint brushes to brighten up the public spaces along Kenyatta Avenue. Zebra crossings that had faded away after years of supporting the city’s heavy foot traffic were painted back in reimagined ways. In place of the plain old black and white stripes, the team opted for paintings of actual zebras seemingly crossing the street, colourful hopscotch boxes stretching from one end of the crosswalk to the other, and various 3D black and white crossing marks.
After tackling the crosswalks, the artists went the extra mile by livening up the vertical spaces. Trash cans and the extra-large plant pots spaced out along Kenyatta Avenue were given a fresh lick of paint in vibrant new colours. The artists also took this chance to honour endurance athlete Eliud Kipchoge with a large graffiti portrait outside ICEA Lion’s office complex. The portrait comes with a reminder from Eliud to all who walk by that no human is limited.
Aaaaah Nairobi, the city under the sun.
