My Hood: Inside the estate that is a haven for the middle class
A view of the Tanners estate in Nakuru.
It all started around 1978 when a leather processing company set up shop in an area and gradually grew day by day.
Little did they know that it would become the identity of a group of people living in the area, and sooner rather than later it did.
46 years later, Tanners Estate, located in Shabab Ward, has stood the test of time.
As you walk through the estate, you will notice that there are those who own private property while there are also many rented houses.
Due to its proximity to the city centre, a one bedroom apartment in this area would go for up to Sh10,000. Shadrack Ngugi, a resident, also explains that those who have private property in the area have also demarcated a piece of their land and built rental houses within their compound.
Shadrack Ngugi a resident of Tanners estate Nakuru.
"Since Tanners is only 10 minutes from the city centre, many would choose to live in the area for convenience," Mr Ngugi said.
One would expect that the majority of those living in the estate would be the vibrant youth who want to be close to the city centre.
But as Shadrack explains, many of those who have worked at the company for a long period of time have established permanent residences in the area and now the youth who move in to work at the factory and also in the city centre are also renting houses within the estate, giving the estate a vibrant and dynamic look.
When it comes to entertainment venues in the area, there's the Shabab Social Hall for those who like to play football, especially at the weekends, and the Shabab Social Hall for those who like to watch a football match in the area over a cold drink.
The Nakuru Tanners Company.
Anne Njeri agrees that is indeed the leather processing company that has given Tanners its unique identity and set it apart from the rest of the neighbouring estates such as Kenlands, Shabab Centre, Holy Cross and Koinange.
"In the past, we used to complain about the stench emanating from the leather tannery, but in the last one and a half years, the stench has reduced significantly due to the efforts of the county government," said Ms Njeri.
She said they had improved the drainage system and devised a mechanism to extract the wet waste, load it on trucks and take it to the Giotto dumpsite.
The key issue that seems to be bothering many of the residents is insecurity, with the dangerously entrenched gang members terrorising residents at every turn.