Ruai: From Sewage Site to Prime Estate

Ruai hosts Nairobi’s main sewage treatment plant, a vast facility that processes waste from across the city and continues to shape the area’s development and land use.

Located beyond Donholm, Kayole and Komarock, Ruai marks a transition from Nairobi’s densely populated estates to open, semi-rural spaces. While this setting attracts new housing developments, the area remains closely associated with the Dandora Estate Sewage Treatment Works, the largest such facility in the country. 

Covering more than 18 square kilometres along the Nairobi River, the plant was originally selected during the colonial era for its low elevation and sparse population, enabling gravity-fed systems and large-scale treatment. Each day, waste collected from across Nairobi is transported to Ruai by exhauster trucks using Kangundo Road. 

According to Patrick Analo, Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Urban Development and Planning, the facility is central to the city’s sanitation system. For long-time residents, the smell from the plant is a regular feature of daily life. “That smell for us is normal,” says Brian Kimani, a 28-year-old resident. The plant’s lagoons are fenced and monitored, and locals often speak of wildlife sightings—including hippos and crocodiles—around the site.

Ruai remained largely undeveloped through the 1990s. Roads were rough, housing was sparse, and farming dominated the landscape. Long-time resident Joseph Njoroge recalls a time when most plots were used for maize and beans. The sewage plant changed the area’s profile, discouraging some from settling nearby and keeping land values low. At one point, an acre of land could be purchased for as little as Sh100,000.

In recent years, however, infrastructure improvements such as the Eastern Bypass and the expansion of Kangundo Road have boosted connectivity. As Nairobi’s population has grown and the city has expanded outward, interest in Ruai has increased. Land prices have risen significantly, and new housing estates are under construction. The growth has not been without disputes. 

Large-scale demolitions in 2013 and 2020 displaced thousands of people, underscoring the contested nature of land ownership and planning in the area. Ruai’s population stood at over 72,000 in the 2019 census, with projections suggesting it could exceed 90,000 by 2030. 

Approximately 41 percent of residents own land, while the rest rent. A one-bedroom flat currently rents for about Sh7,400 per month, less than similar units in neighbourhoods closer to the city centre. Investors like Mary Biwott, who bought land near the bypass eight years ago, have seen strong returns as demand for housing has grown. 

“Every week, new houses come up,” she says.

Despite the pace of urbanisation, agriculture remains a major part of Ruai’s economy. Many residents rear livestock and grow crops such as maize, onions and tomatoes. Nairobi County officials view this continued farming activity as essential to the city’s food security, and planners aim to preserve the balance between residential development and agricultural use.

Religious institutions reflect the area’s increasing population and diversity, with both permanent and temporary places of worship serving the community. Ruai is also included in the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan (Niuplan), which identifies it as one of 34 sub-centres aimed at easing pressure on the central business district. 

The plan, which runs until 2035, envisions improved transport and decentralised public services, though funding for these initiatives remains uncertain.