My Hood: Why Kaptwembwa remains an attractive place to live despite high crime rates and poor drainage
A section of a road in Kaptwembwa, Nakuru.
It can be described as one of the biggest estates in Nakuru.
As you enter through the Eveready roundabout, you can see people working hard to make ends meet.
As you move away from the main road, you will see children playing inside the estate.
There is a common factor here, the drains are filled with stagnant water that has accumulated over time.
Kaptwembwa is one of the largest estates in Nakuru and within it is a cosmopolitan area with an ever growing youth population.
A building coming up in the Kaptwembwa, Nakuru.
One common thing you notice is that there are so many buildings going up, many of them apartments.
This is perhaps a sign of the exponential growth in the area. A single room goes for Sh5000 and surprisingly a double room is much cheaper as many of those moving into these areas prefer to stay in singles rather than doubles.
This may be because many of them are young adults who are probably just starting out and don't need a lot of space as they don't have many things.
Poor drainage in the area.
As I continue my walk through the settlement, I come across the famous Kaptembwo Police Station, which is uniquely situated within the settlement.
With the presence of the police station you would think that the crime rate in the area would be non-existent, but this is not the case.
In my conversations with some of the locals, they claim that the high crime rate is one of the biggest challenges affecting their estate.
I make my way to Soko Mjinga, which is known for its speciality of offering quality farm produce at very affordable prices.
For the lovers of the game of pool, the place also has numerous venues where the youth of the area can congregate, enjoy a game of pool and call it a night, and not forgetting those who would like to enjoy watching a game of football while having a drink, you will not miss out on a joint or two.
Looking at Kaptwembwa you will see a society thriving in peace, with different age groups all interacting within one ecosystem.
So when did it all start?
Eric Rotich Nyumba Kumi Chairman in Kaptwembwa, Nakuru.
Eric Rotich, the Nyumba kumi chairman in the area, says that when the whites left, the farms were occupied by a group of Kipsigis and Tugen.
"The name Kaptwembwa means valley in Kalejin and so when they settled here, they saw that since the area was somehow in a valley, they thought it best to call it Kaptwembwa," Mr Rotich said.
He says originally the area was just a huge field where people were farming and there were also huge sisal plantations all the way to Rhonda.
"This place has developed since then, but I think a lot still needs to be done to improve the lives of the community members living in this area," he said.