Jericho, Nairobi

Jericho (Pronunciation: -'jer-i-"kO) is an estate in Nairobi, Kenya just east of the Nairobi Province. It is a subdivision of the Makadara Constituency. Jericho is surrounded by other areas which are also city council owned (e.g. Jerusalem (salem) Lumumba, Uhuru, and Maringo).

Jericho is located east of Eastleigh, north of Makadara and west of Buru Buru estates.

Housing

After Kenya’s independence, Jericho was formed as a village specifically for government employees. Jericho houses are currently owned by the city council of Nairobi, which is led by the Nairobi mayor. All of the homes are the same shape and size. Most of the area’s companies use the outside of these houses as advertising space and in return they paint the inside of the home for the resident(s). Most of these houses are occupied by young men who have inherited the homes from their parents who have either relocated to the rural areas or passed away. Due to lack of constant income, many home owners rent rooms within the houses for profit. The tenants pay an average of 2,500 to 3,000 XEAS (East African shilling) for their occupancy.

Society and Culture

The Jericho area is occupied by almost all tribes in Kenya. The primary language of its inhabitants is called (Sheng) which is a mixture of English, Swahili and various vernacular languages. The average age of Jericho inhabitants is 35 years. The children of these residents attend city council schools which paid for by the government. With respect to healthcare, with the increase in healthcare education and services to this city, the prevalence of health concerns like HIV/AIDS and infant mortality has dropped significantly.

Business and Economy

The average pay for a Jeri resident is around 5,000 shillings and they use approximately 50 shillings daily for food. Employment in Jericho centres around panel beating, short contracts in the transport business, domestic service and kiosk vending. Some of the residents are considered working class but most work with small businesses.

Notable people from Jericho

Jericho was home to the late Kisoi Munyao, the man who hoisted the Kenyan Flag on Mt. Kenya on December 12, 1963 their independence day.

It was the home of Barack Obama, Sr., a senior ecomonist in Kenyan Ministry of Finance, and his first wife, Kezia, and their children. Obama is the father of United States Senator Barack Obama of Illinois by his second wife, Ann Dunham.

Jericho is known to be the home of many famous Kenyan football players. The main football field in Jericho, otherwise known as "Owanjo So" has produced many players that have gone on to play in the Kenyan national team (Harambee Stars) and also professionally in Europe. Most notable among these are John "Shoto" Lukoye, Benard "Zico" Otieno, Jacob "Ghost" Mulee among others.