pipeline

Recently, pipeline estate found itself on the headlines for all the wrong reasons; a juakali artisan stabbed his wife to death and later killed himself after he had earlier escaped unhurt after jumping from seventh floor in a suicide attempt. What was left is an innocent orphaned nine year old kid. How many nights have resident woken up in the wee hours of the night to answer to children cry after dad slapped mum unconscious?

A year ago, not far from the estate there was the Sinai catastrophe that left hundreds dead and more homeless; the survivors are yet to come to terms with the loss of their relatives, children and properties.

All this begs the question, what is with this estate pipeline?

The fact that pipeline is among the rapidly growing estates in Kenya is not in doubt. The problems that accompany this rising process are also indispensable. The poorly constructed storey buildings by few money-minded businessmen are crowded.  This houses which are people’s residents and business premises. They host Cyber cafes, kiosks, electrical shops, exhibitions, saloons, barber shops, movies and music shops.

In one of the plots, at second floor there is a busy day care flooded with small kids who collide with mansions as they continue with the construction. In these floors, tenants hang wet clothes covering them with polythene bags. It is in these damp environment that children are brought up in. when it rains, it becomes a total mess, moving from point A to point B, you have to line up to step on one protruding rock/stone so as not to step on the dirty water. Just like many other estates poor sewerage is an adaptation.

Drinking water is a problem, residents are supplied with salty borehole water and forced to buy city council water sold for ksh. 15- 20 per jar.

Transportation is another headache, during the peak hours; from pipeline estate to dornhorm a distance less than a kilometer you can be trapped in an unexplainable jam for more than an hour not forgetting that you will meet another traffic jam at dornhorm later jogoo road. The transportation sector however is very competitive, being among the few areas blessed with a still functioning railway, embassava, city hopa, city shuttle and KBS are doing very well, not leaving aside the Nissan matatus which will defiantly  overcharging you.

The flourishing economy is best epitomized by completion of taj mall which houses uchumi super market and few banks and insurance companies. The bank accounts of few business individuals who invaded pipeline estate at the right time can best explain the business prosperity of this area, few supermarkets and bank agents who have to close before 8.00pm due to increased crime. Increasing insecurity, alcoholism, and drug peddling are matters of concern that resident here keep raising incase they see a mheshimiwa’s caravan passing around. Conmen have sharpened their skills and being sold a non existing plot is not something new.

Estate prostitution is alive in this estate just like many other Nairobi estates. These sex workers also work sometimes as housewives. Next to many 24/7 open bars and clubs, you can see stairs leading to brothels, or do I call them lodgings as they are registered by the city council. Starting from 9.00 pm, these sex workers line up outside shops which during the day are beehive of activities between businesspersons and customers. Beyond 9.00 pm, sending a child to a late night chemist for a good course would be risking.

pipeline is an epitome of many other estates where alcoholism, family wrangles, conflict between neighbors,  poor housing, dampness, lack of clean drinking water, water rationing, crime, drugs peddling, estate prostitution among others are what have to come to be considered as necessary evils to the rising of these estates.

With the alarming rural-urban migration, inflation and worsening economy forcing companies to retrench their workers, the there is no end in sight for these evilsfacebook.com/kennethwaithera