Runda was once a coffee plantation but is now a posh residential area. Now, UN employees and well-heeled Kenyans flock to the affluent neighborhood of Runda.
The United States Embassy, Village Market, and the United Nations are all within walking distance of this estate, and homes there fetch millions of Kenyan Shillings.
Background
Many international organizations, like the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), have set up shop in Gigiri, contributing to Runda’ s development.
Dr. Njoroge Mungai and Joseph Odero, – Jowi, both both deceased, were instrumental in elevating the estate to its current, premium position. Maurice Strong, a Canadian who rose to the rank of UN secretary- general, was another notable figure.
Submission of Proposals for the UNEP Headquarters
While Odera represented Kenya at the United Nations, Dr. Njoroge Mungai oversaw foreign policy as the country’ s minister of foreign affairs. They lobbied for Kenya to host the UNEP’ s headquarters.
There were competing bids at the time from countries in Europe and North America to host the organization’ s headquarters. They would even pay for the construction of a new UNEP headquarters in one of their countries.
However, Kenya triumphed despite having no construction funds. The UNEP headquarters received a $400,000 contribution.
The United Nations provided funding for the construction of the headquarters, and the area of Gigiri was selected as the UN Environment Programme’ s (UNEP) new home.
In steps Mae’ s Properties.
Mae Properties, owners of Runda Estate, saw this as a fantastic opportunity because of the abundance of coffee plantations there.
Mae started constructing homes there, aiming at first for UN employees. Houses on one- and two- acre lots began appearing in Old Runda in the years running up to 1980. The 1990s saw a slew of additional builders occupying the half- acre lots.
This contributed to Runda’s rise as a prosperous community. New Runda was built by the Kenya Commercial Bank on the Kiambu road.
Former Gatundu MP and property developer Zacharia Gakunju created the neighboring communities of Runda Evergreen Estate in the east and Karume Investments, Runda Mimosa in the west.
Household Mae Properties
Pan Africa Life Assistance is the current owner of Mae properties, the area’ s pioneer builders. However, MAE stands for the founding three owners: Eliud Mathu, Andrew Zagoritus, and Elia Zagoritus.
The three predicted a spike in demand for upscale housing in the Gigiri area after the United Nations Environment Programme established its headquarters there. They transformed the coffee plantation into a posh community called Runda Coffee Estate.
During Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’ s rule, Eliud Mathu was a prominent political figure. The Colonial Government of Kenya appointed the Oxford graduate as the first Kenyan to represent the interests of the African Community in the Legislative Council. His appointment as State House Controller came shortly after independence in 1963.
