Sakaja explains how new buildings overlooking his home changed his lifestyle

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has explained how new buildings overlooking his home have changed the way he uses his compound, saying he no longer enjoys spending time outside as often as he did before.

Sakaja said that when he moved into his house in 2015, he had a beautiful compound where he could sit outside, have a barbecue and spend time with his friends. He explained that the changes around his home have since affected how often he uses the outdoor space.

“I am personally attached to where I live. I live in…when I moved to my house in 2015, I had a beautiful compound; I could sit outside, do a BBQ, sit with my friends, etc. Now, there are flats overlooking my house. So I don’t use it as often as I would,” Sakaja said in his weekly updates on YouTube on Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The governor made the remarks while addressing concerns from residents about changes in Kileleshwa. He said some residents want the area to remain the way it was when they were children, especially when it comes to the homes and compounds they grew up around.

Sakaja said residents have two main issues, with one being amenities and the other being nostalgia. He explained that people who grew up in Kileleshwa may want the neighbourhood to remain as they remember it from their childhood.

“Residents have two issues. One of course I said amenity. The second one, nostalgia. You grew up in Kileleshwa, on your own compound; you want Kileleshwa to stay how it was when you were a kid. It will not,” Sakaja said.

He said Kileleshwa will change, although other parts of the city will continue to have single units or buildings with fewer floors. Sakaja explained that this is part of how a city is planned.

“That part of the city will change. Other parts will still have single units, other parts will never have more than two stories, but that is how a city is planned,” Sakaja said.

Sakaja also linked his personal experience to the concerns raised by residents about changing neighbourhoods. He said he understands the attachment people have to the places they call home, having experienced a similar change around his own compound.

The governor said the flats that now overlook his home have made him use the compound less often than he used to. He explained that the outdoor space was once a place where he could relax, have a barbecue and spend time with friends.

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