Kariokor

First used to house members of the African carrier-corps (hence its name) during the First World War, Kariokor was among the oldest African locations in Nairobi. The buildings, now getting torn down, were built in long lines. An entire family might live in one of these small rooms, often not more than 10 feet by 6 feet. In these tiny, ramshackle rooms, children would sleep on the floor or under the parents’ beds. There was no privacy except for the odd kanga screen that people constructed. The toilets and water were communal and in sad shape. Kariokor market is well known for bead work, painting and basketry. Groups of women do basketry using different techniques to make hand or shoulder length (kiondos) baskets. Currently the government is constructing houses for the Nyumba yangu Project in the areas. It’s a low income area.