This mixed-income African area due east of the city centre has expanded in recent decades. At its heart lies Buru Buru, built as a middle-income estate in the 1970s and 1980s and inhabited by Kenyan business people and professionals and a few expatriates on short-term assignments; accommodation is mainly in small, two-storey townhouses in quiet cul-de-sacs. Many properties have now been converted into cheap bed-sits and single rooms, especially in the north.
There is a wide range of shops and amenities along Mumias South Road, the area’s central artery; facilities include a petrol station, supermarkets, a foreign exchange bureau and a chemist, as well as a private swimming pool and several pubs and bars. Barclays Bank, one of the main banks operating in Kenya, is also due to open several branches here. The shops draw crowds from outside the area, and there is heavy traffic along main roads.
The area is served by bus and matatu. A taxi to the city centre costs around Ksh500.