Jericho, Nairobi
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Jericho (Pronunciation: -'jer-i-"kO) is an estate in Nairobi, Kenya located in the east of Nairobi County. It is a constituent of Makadara Constituency. Jericho comprises Ofafa and Lumumba, and was established as a low-income, high-density housing development in the mid-1950s to house the African working class. Ofafa was named after Ambrose Ofafa, a prominent politician, while Lumumba was named after Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Jericho neighbours Makadara, Buru Buru, Harambee, Uhuru Estate, Maringo and Jerusalem Estate.
After Kenya’s independence, Jericho was formed as a settlement specifically for the African working class. It was built with help from the Israeli government. Jericho houses are currently owned by the Nairobi City County, which is led by a Governor. All of the homes are the same shape and size. They are double storied houses with one tenant living on the ground floor and another on the top floor. Most of the area’s companies use the outside of these houses as advertising space and in return they paint the inside of the home for the resident(s). Most of these houses are occupied by young men who have inherited the homes from their parents who have either relocated to the rural areas or died. Due to lack of constant income, many home owners rent rooms within the houses for profit. The tenants pay an average of KSh.2,500–3,000/= for their occupancy.
Society and culture
The Jericho area is occupied by almost all tribes in Kenya. The primary language of its inhabitants is called (Sheng) which is a mixture of English, Swahili and various vernacular languages. The average age of Jericho inhabitants is 35 years. The children of these residents attend city council schools which paid for by the government. With respect to healthcare, with the increase in healthcare education and services to this city, the prevalence of health concerns like HIV/AIDS and infant mortality has dropped significantly.