Just copied the relevant parts of the article. You can read the rest here:
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/03/24/eastleigh-whats-in-a-name_c1529703
However, throughout all this history there was a constant Somali presence in the estate. Indeed, Somali settlement in Eastleigh is not new: they were in Eastleigh even before it was called Eastleigh. Somalis from the Isaaq clan-family (some of whom had come with the British from what is now Somaliland) were some of the first townspeople of Nairobi, and began to settle in ‘Nairobi East’ around 1916. Farah Aden, the steward of Karen Blixen, lived in what would become Eastleigh, and in her writing she described visiting Somali homes in the estate in 1917.
These early Somali settlers in Eastleigh would attract many others from northeastern Kenya over the years, and the Eastleigh ‘namescape’ took in many references to a Kenyan Somali geography, including a now legendary establishment called ‘Garissa Lodge’. This lodging would play a great role in the transformation of Eastleigh in the 1990s, hosting a number of Somali refugees – some with trading experience from Mogadishu – who began to turn the estate into a place of commerce.
Little Mogadishu
Indeed, thousands of Somalian refugees would settle in Eastleigh in that era, leading to the estate gaining the nickname of ‘Little Mogadishu’. In the 1990s and 2000s, the impact of Somalians on the estate was felt strongly, reflected in some of the names of buildings around Eastleigh, including the Hotel Taleh, referencing a part of Mogadishu. However, the main impact of these Somalians was in commerce, and in some ways Eastleigh took on the economic role for Somali society that Mogadishu itself had before the war – a vibrant trade hub linking East Africa to the markets of the Gulf, Middle East and Asia.
Global Geographies
Becoming a Somali global hub also meant connecting Eastleigh to many other trade hubs as Somali networks supplying the estate grew in scale, initially taking in Dubai, but later Bangkok, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. This global geography is also reflected in the names in the estate. One of the earliest shopping malls was named Dubai Shopping, later replaced by Bangkok Shopping Mall, an establishment sitting opposite Hong Kong Shopping Mall.
Eastleigh is not just connected to such trade hubs, however, and a vital part of its recent history is its connections to the wider Somali diaspora settled all over the world, including North America and Europe. Much capital has come into Eastleigh from this diaspora, some in the form of remittances to help family members establish businesses, some as direct investment in the estate mediated by advertising through Somali cable TV and other networks. This connection is evident in an estate where many different accents can be heard, including London, Minneapolis and others, but also in other names in the estate. Some Somalis there who have lived in the US, for example, are appreciative that Eastleigh supermarkets often stock Hershey brand chocolate.
Eastleigh
Interestingly, Eastleigh also has a restaurant named Karmel after a Somali shopping mall located in Minneapolis. Karmel Mall itself is quite likely inspired by the shopping mall developments of Eastleigh, an example of the to-ing and fro-ing of global influence in the Somali world. In fact, the Eastleigh influence stretches well beyond the relatively small area the estate takes up in Nairobi. Somali-owned shopping malls in Nairobi city centre show the influence of the Eastleigh mall design, while Somalis have turned parts of Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret into mini Eastleighs. Indeed, a part of Eldoret is now nicknamed ‘Eastleigh’. Further afield, parts of Johannesburg also show an Eastleigh influence brought by Somali and Oromo migrants who passed through Nairobi en route.
Indeed, Eastleigh is a powerful brand and blueprint in its own right. A place of justified worldwide fame for all its commerce. Perhaps in the real Mogadishu there will one day be a ‘Little Eastleigh’.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2017/03/24/eastleigh-whats-in-a-name_c1529703
However, throughout all this history there was a constant Somali presence in the estate. Indeed, Somali settlement in Eastleigh is not new: they were in Eastleigh even before it was called Eastleigh. Somalis from the Isaaq clan-family (some of whom had come with the British from what is now Somaliland) were some of the first townspeople of Nairobi, and began to settle in ‘Nairobi East’ around 1916. Farah Aden, the steward of Karen Blixen, lived in what would become Eastleigh, and in her writing she described visiting Somali homes in the estate in 1917.
These early Somali settlers in Eastleigh would attract many others from northeastern Kenya over the years, and the Eastleigh ‘namescape’ took in many references to a Kenyan Somali geography, including a now legendary establishment called ‘Garissa Lodge’. This lodging would play a great role in the transformation of Eastleigh in the 1990s, hosting a number of Somali refugees – some with trading experience from Mogadishu – who began to turn the estate into a place of commerce.
Little Mogadishu
Indeed, thousands of Somalian refugees would settle in Eastleigh in that era, leading to the estate gaining the nickname of ‘Little Mogadishu’. In the 1990s and 2000s, the impact of Somalians on the estate was felt strongly, reflected in some of the names of buildings around Eastleigh, including the Hotel Taleh, referencing a part of Mogadishu. However, the main impact of these Somalians was in commerce, and in some ways Eastleigh took on the economic role for Somali society that Mogadishu itself had before the war – a vibrant trade hub linking East Africa to the markets of the Gulf, Middle East and Asia.
Global Geographies
Becoming a Somali global hub also meant connecting Eastleigh to many other trade hubs as Somali networks supplying the estate grew in scale, initially taking in Dubai, but later Bangkok, Hong Kong and Guangzhou. This global geography is also reflected in the names in the estate. One of the earliest shopping malls was named Dubai Shopping, later replaced by Bangkok Shopping Mall, an establishment sitting opposite Hong Kong Shopping Mall.
Eastleigh is not just connected to such trade hubs, however, and a vital part of its recent history is its connections to the wider Somali diaspora settled all over the world, including North America and Europe. Much capital has come into Eastleigh from this diaspora, some in the form of remittances to help family members establish businesses, some as direct investment in the estate mediated by advertising through Somali cable TV and other networks. This connection is evident in an estate where many different accents can be heard, including London, Minneapolis and others, but also in other names in the estate. Some Somalis there who have lived in the US, for example, are appreciative that Eastleigh supermarkets often stock Hershey brand chocolate.
Eastleigh
Interestingly, Eastleigh also has a restaurant named Karmel after a Somali shopping mall located in Minneapolis. Karmel Mall itself is quite likely inspired by the shopping mall developments of Eastleigh, an example of the to-ing and fro-ing of global influence in the Somali world. In fact, the Eastleigh influence stretches well beyond the relatively small area the estate takes up in Nairobi. Somali-owned shopping malls in Nairobi city centre show the influence of the Eastleigh mall design, while Somalis have turned parts of Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret into mini Eastleighs. Indeed, a part of Eldoret is now nicknamed ‘Eastleigh’. Further afield, parts of Johannesburg also show an Eastleigh influence brought by Somali and Oromo migrants who passed through Nairobi en route.
Indeed, Eastleigh is a powerful brand and blueprint in its own right. A place of justified worldwide fame for all its commerce. Perhaps in the real Mogadishu there will one day be a ‘Little Eastleigh’.
Last edited:
it has a sauna and everything
