Pipeline is a slum-like neighbourhood in

Embakasi Embakasi is a neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately , southeast of the central business district. Embakasi is considered part of Nairobi's Eastlands area, lying to the south-east of Nairobi County. The Embakasi proper cover ...

in the city of

Nairobi Nairobi is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Kenya. The city lies in the south-central part of Kenya, at an elevation of . The name is derived from the Maasai language, Maasai phrase , which translates to 'place of cool waters', a ...

. Located within the larger Eastlands area of Nairobi, it is approximately east of the

central business district A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...

. It has earned a reputation for its poor

infrastructure Infrastructure is the set of facilities and systems that serve a country, city, or other area, and encompasses the services and facilities necessary for its economy, households and firms to function. Infrastructure is composed of public and pri ...

, coupled with overcrowded

flats Flat or flats may refer to: Architecture * Apartment, known as a flat in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and other Commonwealth countries Arts and entertainment * Flat (music), a symbol () which denotes a lower pitch * Flat (soldier), a two-dimens ...

, narrow streets, littering, as well as its poor drainage system.

Location

Pipeline is located approximately southeast of Nairobi's

, west of the Outer Ring Road within the Eastlands area in

. It borders another slum,

Mukuru kwa Njenga Mukuru Kwa Njenga is a slum in the Mukuru slums of Nairobi. Mukuru kwa Njenga is among other villages in Mukuru namely; Mukuru kwa Reuben, Mukuru kwa Njenga, Sinai, Paradise, Jamaica, Kingstone, Mariguini, Fuata Nyayo and Kayaba. The populatio ...

, other

low-income Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse

to low

middle-income The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Commo ...

such as Fedha and Kware, and the middle class suburb of

Imara Daima Imara Daima is a middle class neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi. It is approximately south of the central business district of Nairobi. Located along the Nairobi expressway and Mombasa Road, the neighbourhood is well connected to transport ...

. Electorally, Pipeline is placed under Embakasi South Constituency; the whole constituency is within the Embakasi Sub-county.

Overview

Pipeline Estate has over the years become synonymous with a concrete

slum A slum is a highly populated Urban area, urban residential area consisting of densely packed housing units of weak build quality and often associated with poverty. The infrastructure in slums is often deteriorated or incomplete, and they are p ...

for its poor

and uncontrolled tenements. Overcrowded high-rises set up side by side define the estate's skyline, narrow streets, poor

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils can prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic conditions that harm root gro ...

systems and poor

garbage collection Waste collection is a part of the process of waste management. It is the transfer of solid waste from the point of use and disposal to the point of treatment or landfill. Waste collection also includes the curbside collection of recyclable ...

. The estate attracts

low-income Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse

earners because of its affordability. The neighbourhood has seldom set aside open spaces that can be used for

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for happiness, enjoyment, amusement, ...

, expansion of roads and development of social amenities. As space in Pipeline ran out, uncontrolled development spread out to the neighbouring poorer Kware Estate. The neighbourhood population is alarmingly high, accommodating approximately 100,000 residents without a single public primary school. As of 2019, Pipeline together with Kware have a population of 166,517, with 87,056 of them being male and 79,439 being female. The neighbourhood has a population density of 106,445/km² in a land area of 1.6km², the highest after

Huruma Huruma is a low-income residential estate located in the northeast of Nairobi, the capital of Kenya. It borders Kariobangi and Dandora to the east, Moi Air Base to the south, Mathare to the north to west and Eastleigh to the southwest. In Apri ...

and Madiwa.

References

{{Nairobi, state=collapsed Populated places in Nairobi Province Suburbs of Nairobi