Ofafa Maringo

Ambrose Ofafa, winner of Colonial Service award on the 1953 Coronation Honours list, was a suave politician who was said to have a soft spot for colonialists, and is said to have been on the first lane to the countries leadership until this dream was brought to a stop by “those”. Until about 1939, employers and municipalities were supposed to provide only ‘bachelor’ housing for unaccompanied African men. After 1939, encouraged by London, the Kenyan government began to provide for families. Indeed, Andrew Hake has claimed that the first family project was Ofafa Maringo, designed in 1957 and completed in 1959. This boasted indoor plumbing and was dubbed ‘posh’ (maringo) by Africans. Maringo estate along Jogoo road offers housing facilities especially for casual workers in Industrial area, which is within walking distance. Located along and slightly off Jogoo road, has a characteristic building design. Maringo estate goes on to join with Hamza estate in the bigger Makadara area of Nairobi. There is no regular water supply in the area and most of the youths have turned selling water as a form of making a living. Another common business in the area is car washing. This is done mainly by young boys who have recently finished school through youth groups.