Did you know Kivumbini estate in Nakuru East sub county used to house police officers?

Well, the residential houses for men and women in blue saw the name- Kivumbini Police Line become common among locals some years back.

To ensure privacy of the officers, the houses that the officers resided in had a fence with just one main gate that was used as an entrance.

Read: Interesting details about wards that existed in Nakuru before 2012

Chris Musu- a long time resident of Kivumbini estate reveals that locals used to integrate with the officers in the estate despite the enclosed Police Line residential.

Kivumbini estate was once a posh estate housing police officers.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

“The estate was fenced just to ensure the safety and integrity of the officers. There was one gate such that when you came from the other side of Kivumbini estate commonly referred to as Kivumbini Maduke, you were forced to go round to access the Police Line,” says Musu.

On the other hand, John Githanga who was brought up in Kivumbini 1 estate reveals that not all cadres of officers were living in the Police Line.

According to him, only junior officers such as constables were housed in the estate that he says was a posh one by then.

He adds that the senior officers such as sergeants and OCSs were housed at the Bondeni police quotas which came up in the late 1970s.

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Githanga recalls with nostalgia how the Kenya Police male officers used to put on smart khaki shorts as they went on with their duties with the famous ‘999 vehicles’.

Later in the late 1990s, the Kasarani Police quarters was set up and officers started shifting slowly from what was Kivumbini Police Line to inhabit the new quotas.

He adds that there was nothing like corruption back then.

According to him, the officers were trusted with their duties such that whenever you had an issue with someone and then you threaten to go to the police, the erred one would prefer you sort things out without involving the police.

“This was a smart place and the compound within the Police Line was well tended to with the grass kept short,” he says.

A spot-check by Mtaa Wangu at houses that used to form Nakuru’s Kivumbini Police Line reveals that the houses are now occupied by locals and the fence is no longer there.

A section of Kivumbini estate that used to have a fence.

Photo credit: BRET SANYA/MTAA WANGU

The notable facility at the estate is the Kivumbini Social Hall that was initially a Police Line Hall- one of its kind with a Television screen and a police canteen.

The Hall is currently used for community public meetings as well as a gym and boxing practice venue for a local youth club.

This, even as Police housing has continued to remain a challenge in the county and country at large.

The only facility that was constructed in Nakuru is the Pinewood Apartments built at a cost of Sh800 million by Nakuru businessman Zakayo Maina to accommodate 80 police officers on lease terms as a way of improving officers’ living conditions and ease the burden of maintaining police houses.

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It will be recalled that on February 17, 2022, the then Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i said the government will partner with the police Sacco to construct modern houses for officers under the tenant-purchase arrangement.

The new housing scheme directive requires junior police officers to rent houses outside their police quarters.

pmambili@gmail.com

When Kivumbini was a posh estate, housing police officers

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Pristone Mambili