Take a look, Grogan area is one big filthy and smelly mess

On a good day, Anthony Kariuki, or Brown Wamagoti, as he is known around here, might sell three to five coats, making a profit of between Sh800 or Sh1,000.

Come rain or shine, he arrives at his place of work, Nairobi’s Kirinyaga Road, as early as 6am, and then calls it a day at around 11pm. The 41-year-old father of three has been selling coats for 19 years, back-breaking business that sees him lug several coats over his shoulders all day, hoping to bump into a customer in the populous and busy Kirinyaga Road. He has no complaints about the taxing nature of his job though, after all, it is what sustains his family; his only grievance is the insecurity here.

“I can’t carry on with my business after certain hours due to the insecurity. Do you see those street lights?” he says, pointing at the lamp posts across the road, “They stopped functioning a long time ago. When it starts to get dark, I have to make my way to upper Nairobi to avoid getting mugged,” he says.

Grogan, in downtown Nairobi, is best known for the spare parts and vehicle repair trade, though there are many other income-generating activities, such as food vending, hawking, car washing and spray painting.

No doubt, there is thriving business here, only that it is eclipsed by filth, overcrowding, a tale of insecurity, and burst sewers. 

Teresia Mwangi, 42, the chairperson of the over 5000-member National Federation of Juakali Artisans (KNFJKA) says that over 10,000 people earn a living in the Grogan area.

One of them is Robert Mwangi, 35, a mechanic who has been plying his trade here for 10 years now.

“When I completed school, I came to work here because there was more space and business unlike Kipande Road,” he explains while checking under the hood of a car.

INFORMAL BUSINESS

Simon Kamangu, a businessman and politician who has he has worked here for close to two decades, says that millions of shillings exchanges hands here on a daily basis.

“Grogan extends from Globe Roundabout all the way to Riverside. Across the Nairobi River, we have the Ngara Open Air Market, or Tsunami as people like to call it, and the Nyayo Market. The number of traders who are involved in different businesses is in the thousands, so you can imagine the amount of money made in a day.”

The search for figures to determine how much Grogan and downtown Nairobi means to the country’s economy was not fruitful, thanks to the informal nature of most of the businesses here. Whereas formal markets have documents such as invoices and receipts, which means that due to Value Added Tax (VAT), the government has a record of what was transacted where, on this side of town, many businesses barely keep records, at least not formal ones, of the business dealings undertaken, making it difficult to measure consumption.   

“I once took my car to one of the garages here for recarpeting and they did a very good job. I paid Sh15,000 for the service in cash, but did not get a receipt. I highly doubt there was any form of record kept,” says Dr Paul Gachanja, an economics lecturer at Kenyatta University, who thinks it is telling that banks are now venturing into this side of Nairobi, from KCB on River Road, to Barclays in Nyamakima, and Jamii Bora on Kirinyaga Road, not to forget the numerous outlets that offer mobile money transfer services.

“The fact that there are banks in these area of the city shows there is a lot of economic potential,” he adds.  

This part of Nairobi is what supplies the city with generic, and therefore cheaper, products that buyers would otherwise get from the Central Business District at steep prices.

“If someone with a limited budget wanted say, a vehicle spare part, shoes or clothes, they would buy them from the lower part of Nairobi at a reasonably lower price than in the uptown section,” he explains.

Though this lower part of Nairobi sustains thousands of households, there is palpable neglect – congestion, filth, disorganisation and insecurity - the challenges that traders face here are plenty, and you are likely to see many selling their wares next to refuse and burst sewers. Food vending is big business here too, if the number of people filing towards lower Nairobi during lunchtime is anything to go buy. A plate of food goes for as little as Sh50 to Sh70, but not for more than Sh100. Business is brisk during the dry season, but during the rainy season, like now, food vendors suffer because customers are reluctant to wade through mud and burst sewers in search of affordable food.

“When it rains, there is lots of mud and filth everywhere, which puts off customers – business is really bad right now,” says Lucy Wanjiru, who operates a food kiosk.

Insecurity is a major issue here, bigger than Brown Wamagoti’s fear of being mugged. In June 2011, a mechanic died after an explosion tore through the Grogan area. Forty-six people were also injured, and windows on nearby buildings shattered. The refill point at the adjacent Shell Petrol Station also caught fire. The traders here believe that the "attack" was an attempt to get them to vacate the area.

Ms Mwangi, the KNFJKA chairman, agrees that insecurity is a major cause of concern.

“It has been a major issue of concern for some time - I was walking to tend to some business a few weeks ago when I spotted a smartly dressed man lying on Nyati Lane, an alley between Kirinyaga and Giriama roads. I assumed he was drunk and moved on. Later, on my way back, I found people milling around him; it’s then I learnt that he was dead. His throat had been slit.”

GOLD MINE

On April 7 this year, another body was found in the same lane. 

Other issues that bedevil the location, besides insecurity, lack of sanitation and congestion, are insufficient expansion space and frequent power outages. Ms Mwangi wonders why they have been neglected by the county covernment.

Dr Gachanja, the economics lecturer, reckons he has the answer to this question:

“It’s simple: the Nairobi County government collects little or no revenue here; how many business people within this area pay taxes, for instance? The informal nature of many of the businesses here makes it difficult for any regulation to be put in place. If there is no revenue coming in, it becomes difficult to deliver services,” he explains.

He adds: “Politics is also to blame to some extent, the minute you try to touch the issue of hawkers, there is uproar because there are people whose political survival depends on this electorate.”

What can be done to remedy the situation then?

No doubt, this area is a gold mine, a cash cow that, if well-regulated, can be a major source of revenue for the tax man, who in turn will be compelled to offer the urgent services due.

There also needs to be serious planning and engagement of influential people among the traders, who will then be tasked with spearheading development agendas.

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HISTORY OF THE GROGAN AREA 

Did you know that Nairobi River once flowed along modern-day River Road? Due to subsequent land sale, encroachment and development, the river’s course was diverted, as we shall see.

A plat/cadastral map of the area dated 4th October 1959 shows that the land had a Land Reference (LR) Number 209/136/239 and measured approximately 68 acres.

Prior to that though, the land was larger than the aforementioned 68 acres, and was assigned LR 209/136. A Ministry of Lands document dated May 7, 2012, and which was attached to the Attorney General’s office reads that the land was owned by Messrs Shariff Devji Jamal and Jaffer Devji. The land, according to the document, was held for term of 92 years with effect from 1st January 1909.

In 1910, Shariff Devji and Jaffer Devji transferred their rights and interest to Getrude Grogan, the wife of explorer Ewart Grogan. This is where the land acquired its name from.   

Upon the demise of Getrude Grogan in 1943, LR 209/136 was transferred to Eduard Stuart Grogan on 17th October 1944. Later, Eduard had LR 209/136 subdivided into 238 parcels of approximately 0.04 hectares each. The remainder after subdivision was assigned LR 209/136/239.

In March 1960, Eduard transferred LR 209/136/239 to Ahamedali Hebattulah and Fidali Mula Hebattulah. A survey had been undertaken to establish the divisions of the land before sale and hence the cadastral map dated 4th October 1959. To date, the Hebattullahs are still the current owners although some parts have been hived off for sale.

In 1965, a portion of LR 209/136/239 was acquired by the government for highway improvement. Later, the owners held a discussion with the City Council of Nairobi and the Commissioner of Lands. The former wanted a portion of LR 209/136/239 to set land for public open space while the latter wanted the expansion of River Bank and Murang’a Road Primary Schools and Ngara Girls High School.

LAND TUSSLES

In a December 1980 agreement, the three parties decided that the government would pay the owners Sh800, 000 for 10.51 hectares for the three schools. Additionally, the City Council was bestowed the responsibility of diverting the course of Nairobi River, constructing a canal and a dual carriage way. This did not happen since the City Council placed the responsibility of canalizing the River on the owners. This had gone against the agreement - since one of the parties reneged on a signed agreement, the Hebatullahs retained the land.  

In the years that followed, subsequent and inevitable development took place and the course of Nairobi River changed to how we see it today. As for the hawkers, mechanics and other business people who invaded the land, Simon Kamangu, a businessman who has operated here for close to two decades says, “ I don’t think we have any records of why and how they came to set base here, but any open space even today would attract people, the thought being that the land belongs to the government. The Grogan area was just one big open space at the time. The owners did not fence if off, and since it was near the CBD, had good business opportunities which attracted traders.”

In such a case, it would be extremely difficult to convince someone who has been working here for years that he or she is operating illegally on someone’s land and should hence move out.

There have been many tussles over the land - some have been taken to court while others have tried to be ‘settled’ through running battles with police - in some cases, lives have been lost.

In June 2013 after a land sale agreement between the Hebatullahs and Jamia Masjidahl (registered trustees of the Jamia Mosque Committee), there was a clash between Jua Kali artisans, most of them mechanics, and police after the new owners claimed the property. At the moment, a car wash and parking lot is what defines this parcel of land today.

In May 2014, five watchmen were found dead after assailants attacked them in the dead of night - it is alleged that they were murdered due to a land ownership tussle. The assailants have not been arrested to date.