Nairobi's original commercial district was built by Asian merchants who understood urban commerce and had capital to invest. From a railway depot in 1899, Nairobi became a city largely shaped by Asian merchants' entrepreneurship and real estate investment.
The Early Years: Railway Camp to Town
When the Uganda Railway reached the future site of Nairobi (1899), it was an empty valley. The railway authorities established a depot and workshop. Asian merchants recognized the opportunity: a growing influx of workers, military personnel, and administrators would need supplies, housing, and services. Asians established shops, hotels, and boarding houses near the railway depot.
The First Commercial Buildings
A.M. Jeevanjee and other Asian merchants invested in constructing Nairobi's first significant commercial buildings. These were shops, warehouses, and office buildings made of stone and timber. They were built near the railway, where commerce naturally clustered. These early buildings set the template for Nairobi's commercial district: densely built, mixed-use structures with shops on the ground floor and offices or residences above.
Biashara Street: The Indian Bazaar
Biashara Street (formerly called Indian Bazaar Street) became the heart of Asian commercial Nairobi. Lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses, it attracted both Asian and African customers. Biashara Street was crowded, busy, and vibrant, filled with merchants hawking goods, customers bargaining, and the sounds of multiple languages. It became iconic in Nairobi's popular imagination and in Nairobi's geography.
Land Speculation and Real Estate
Asian merchants quickly understood that controlling urban land was more profitable than trading goods. They bought land near the railway and near government centers. As Nairobi grew (becoming the capital of the East Africa Protectorate in 1905), land values increased. Asians who had invested in land early became wealthy landlords. This wealth from real estate was often greater than profits from commerce.
The Residential-Commercial Mix
Nairobi's commercial district in its early years was mixed-use: shops and offices downstairs, residential quarters and apartments above. Merchants lived in the same buildings where they conducted business. This arrangement was efficient and profitable. Asian families often lived above shops, managing commerce and household simultaneously. This mixed-use character persisted (though is less common in contemporary Nairobi).
Segregation and Economic Zones
As Nairobi grew, racial segregation created distinct economic zones. The central commercial district (dominated by Asian merchants) remained multiracial because it served commerce. But residential areas were segregated: Asians lived in areas like Parklands and Eastleigh, Africans in peripheral locations. This geography reflected colonial racial hierarchy and created Asian economic centrality and African spatial marginalization.
Services and Infrastructure
Asian merchants provided services that made the city function: banking (Asian merchants extended credit), transportation (some Asians owned vehicles for hire), postal and telegraph services, and insurance. These services were often privately provided by merchants rather than government. Asians thus became essential to the city's economic circulation.
The Architecture and Physical Appearance
Early Nairobi commercial buildings reflected Asian aesthetic preferences: flat roofs, deep eaves, courtyards (for ventilation and light), and decorated facades. Merchants used materials available in East Africa and technologies they knew. The result was a distinctive architectural style, influenced by but not identical to Indian colonial architecture.
Expansion and Replication
As Nairobi expanded and became more wealthy, Asian merchants built more elaborate and larger structures. But the pattern established in the early years (merchant shops, mixed-use buildings, concentration near transport and government) persisted. Later developments (office buildings, hotels, banks) replicated and elaborated this pattern.
Contemporary Legacy
Much of Nairobi's central business district still reflects the geographic patterns established by Asian merchants in the early 20th century. Biashara Street still exists as a commercial street. Some early buildings (though many have been demolished and replaced) remain. The district's density and mixed-use character reflect its origins. Contemporary Nairobi has grown far beyond what early Asian merchants imagined, but their commercial geography shaped the city's core.
See Also
- A.M. Jeevanjee
- Kenyan Asians Overview
- Asian Retail Empires
- The Duka Wallah Economy
- Asian Real Estate Kenya
- Settlement After the Railway
Sources
- Daily Nation: "Alibhai Mulla Jeevanjee, the man who built Nairobi" (https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/dn2/alibhai-mulla-jeevanjee-the-man-who-built-nairobi-918866)
- Wikipedia: "A.M. Jeevanjee" (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alibhai_Mulla_Jeevanjee)
- The East African: "The story of A M Jeevanjee and his Nairobi Gardens" (https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/magazine/the-story-of-a-m-jeevanjee-and-his-nairobi-gardens-5044560)