Runda is an affluent neighbourhood located in the northern part 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 ...

. The name Runda was borrowed from the name of the coffee estate that existed in the area before it became a residential area; it is not an abbreviation for Reserved United Nations Development Area, as many think; the name "Runda" existed even before the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was formed and decided to have their headquarters in Nairobi in 1972. The coffee estate was owned by Runda Estates Ltd. Runda is one of the suburbs of the city of Nairobi, and is generally regarded as one of the richest suburbs.

Overview

It is bounded by Limuru Road to the west, Ruaka Road to the south, Kiambu Road to the east, and coffee plantations to the north. The area encompasses Closeburn Estate, Mimosa and Old Runda to the west, Mumwe and Whispers to the south, and New Runda and Muringa to the east. Recent developments have seen the greater Runda area expand and now include such developments as Runda Mhasibu and Runda Paradise to the north. It is separated from Nairobi city centre by the 2,500-acre Karura Forest. The landscape in Runda Estate ranges between 1,690 meters above sea level in low lying areas to 1,727 meters above sea level in elevated areas. The area occupied by Runda Estate (estimated to be 14km2) was once a large coffee estate owned by various firms with 3 coffee processing factories. Property in Runda ranks among the most exclusive and expensive in the country. According to BuyRentKenya, the price of 1 acre of land averages around Ksh 97 million, while a 4-bedroom townhouse typically costs approximately Ksh 120 million.

History

Runda was developed in 1972 by the project due to demand when the

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the Declaration of the United Nati ...

Headquarters was built in Gigiri in the early 1970s. The first phase of the estate (Old Runda) was completed between 1972 and 1980.

Overview

History

Notes

References

Further reading