Racecourse estate is one of the oldest estates in Nakuru tracing from the colonial times when locals would enjoy the motor and horse race.

Langalanga Motor race was a sport of its kind those days and the estate was part of the route used by the participants.

Racecourse was also used for horse racing during the colonial period.

The racing activity according to locals would start from Lakeview estate all through Langalanga to the current Race Course estate.

The sport gave birth to the two estates Racecourse and Langalanga that are inhabited by the middle class.

Racecourse estate that borders Lake Nakuru National Park, Langalanga, Lakeview and Top Ten on the other side, used to only have low houses.

Barbushe Maina- a resident from the neighbourhood says this was due to the fact that the defunct Municipal Council of Nakuru had discouraged storied buildings.

This was due to the soil structure in the area that is close to Lake Nakuru National Park.

However, the old time estate is now getting a new look with investors now starting to put up storey buildings.

Here, tenants have to part with between Sh 6,000 and Sh10,000 for rent depending on whether you are staying in a one-bedroomed or two-bedroomed house.

Architects argue that in years to come, the old houses that are said to have been built in the 1980s will be a thing of the past.

“Before, you could not see such buildings but with the increasing population and scarcity of land, the low buildings are now fading away and paving way for the vertical way of construction,” said Maina.

The estate also prides itself in security matters as most rentals in the area have security features such as gated communities as well as some having CCTVs.

Former Nakuru Councillor Issa Gichangi, in an interview with Mtaa Wangu revealed that the estate is one among many where middle class civil servants would stay or invest before moving to the posh estates of Milimani, Section 58, or even Kiamunyi.

He adds that the estate prides itself in education matters as well as religion.

Racetrack primary school in Racecourse estate.

Photo credit: PRISTONE MAMBILI/MTAA WANGU

As I walk through the estate I spot both local and international schools and churches established.

A school that stands out due to its great performance is the Racetrack primary at the centre of the estate.

“The estate is doing well in education and religious matters as we have schools and several churches built,” Mr Gichangi says.

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My Hood: Racecourse estate and the history it holds

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Pristone Mambili