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Thika’s Changing Face: Entertainment Hubs, Real Estate, Education.

Once regarded as the ” Birmingham of Kenya” due to the unsurpassed presence of industries outside Nairobi city, Thika town has slowly but steadily changed into an entertainment spot, real estate and education hub respectively. In the latter years Thika served as Kenya’s industrial town and a key strategic town however this seems to have changed with the increase in number of entertainment spots, real estate investors and various educational institutions pitching tent in the town. 
 
As the working day buzz subsides with the nightfall, bars and entertainment spots are a beehive of activity, Thika Town on a Friday night has come to life. 
As you approach the town from the busy Garrisa Road a tent which has been pitched outside Club Brown Bottle is visible this is to accommodate the huge turn out of revellers and as you approach the Kenyatta Highway roundabout on you left is a long queue of revellers waiting to be screened by the mean looking ‘bouncers’ as they enter Club Zinc, as you alight the Matatu at the near the Thika Arcade terminus a huge crowd is gathered opposite at Mama Ngina drive another entertainment joint known as Club Leo’s there is a popular musician performing and the loud music blaring is evident that the town does not sleep. 

Further down the street is newly opened  Klub Beat House another entertainment joint where revellers frequent. Within the CBD we have a couple of entertainment joints such as Thorntons, Legends, Fulilia,Porkies Garden,The Maze,Motions Sports Club which are always filled up with revellers mostly comprising of college and university students and the yet to be opened Tamasha Thika all conveniently located within the Town.  Downtown Thika has its fair share of entertainment joints with the spacious Nanazi Paradise hotel topping the list, however of all the entertainment establishments in Thika, Klub Image is the clear winner with the huge laser light  mounted on the top of the building beaming across the town at night can be viewed as far as Makongeni Estates in the outskirts of Thika.

The completion of the Thika Super Highway has been viewed as the key reason  as to why real estate development firms have sent up shop in the town due to the convenience that the super highway creates making it easier for residents to commute from Nairobi to Thika using less time. Thika’s strategic location has enabled developers to come up with ideas on how to integrate real estate development with other amenities such as shopping malls, golf courses, leisure facilities at an affordable price range as opposed to Nairobi or any other place. The growing demand for residential places by the ever increasing middle class who are hunting for accommodation outside the busy city of Nairobi is another reason as to why the real estate business is booming in Thika as they regard the town as a serene and quite. With various real estate investor already pitching tent in Thika the likes of Thika Greens, Buffalo Hills, Sunrise Estate, Kisii Estates, to attract potential dwellers . Housing units such as Kimathi, Starehe,Majengo,Magoko,Starehe,Ziwani,Jamhuri,Ofafa,Section9,Section2,Bondeni,Makongeni still maintain the old look of Thika town.

The education sector was also reaped from this  growth with institutions of higher learning such as Mount Kenya University Thika Campus changing the face of General Kago road a road which in the latter years was a deserted area, Gresta University situated along the busy Garisa road is another institution of higher learning where students from within Thika have enrolled to study because of its convenience not forgetting mid-level colleges such as Jodan College, Uzuri Institute, Thika Institute of Business, GakeoCollege, Excel Institute of Professional studies, Kenya Institute of Management, among others have set up shop in Thika as they compete with each other to win students.

The face of Thika town and its environs has changed thus presenting a challenge in restructuring its infrastructure to fit in the demands of the town dwellers.

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