Thome

Thome was a coffee estate in the 1970s and home to top civil servants, politicians and company executives. Thome is nicely nestled off Thika Road near Nairobi’s Safari Park Hotel. Here, gated single-storey buildings stand majestically between shades of trees and manicured lawns. There are few people walking around, most of them workers/gardeners and guards. During the day, the atmosphere is quiet and cool. Trees sway in the wind as birds chirp, giving Thome an upcountry feel. Indeed, some have farmed in the undeveloped plots further giving the area a rural touch. The Presence of USIU (United States International University) largely changed the area as people scrambled to put up student accommodation. Expansion of Thika Road into a super highway, a burgeoning middle class in Nairobi and transfer of wealth has largely changed the area giving it an Urbane Look.