Tatu City Head of Sales David Karimi says the new generation of city-scale developments is redefining how Kenyans live and work by placing homes, schools, industries and social amenities within walkable distances.
Speaking on Radio Generation, he explained how Tatu City’s 5,000-acre design prioritises lifestyle, productivity and balanced living through mixed-use and mixed-income planning.
Karimi at the interview on Wednesday, described the scale and philosophy behind projects such as Tatu City, Oaklands and Zuri Springs.
Tatu City is a large-scale, privately developed mixed-use urban project located in Ruiru, Kiambu County, about 20 kilometres north of Nairobi’s central business district.
Envisioned as a modern, master-planned city that eases congestion in Nairobi, it forms part of Kenya’s Vision 2030 urban development agenda.
The project began taking shape around 2010 after securing government approval, with major infrastructure, residential zones, schools, businesses, and light industrial facilities gradually coming onstream over the years.
Karimi noted that Tatu City sits on nearly 5,000 acres, a size he compared to some of Nairobi’s most prominent districts combined.
“The size is almost 5000 acres,” he said. “If I can compare, that is Nairobi CBD, Westlands, Lavington, all together, built-up Nairobi, CBD, industrial area, Westlands, Upper Hill, Kilimani, that is the size of 5000 acres.”
He used this comparison to help listeners visualise the magnitude of the city. “Now you’re helping me visualise, because again, I keep it again, yeah? 5000 acres,” he said, emphasising how the scale mirrors an entire capital-city footprint.
A core pillar of Tatu City, he explained, is its mixed-use approach, a modern urban concept that allows residents and workers to access business, housing, social services and leisure amenities within short distances.
“Mixed-use development basically means that I can be able to access all business and social amenities within 15 minutes,” he said, adding that the planning prioritises walking and cycling rather than heavy reliance on cars.
He illustrated the convenience with his own routine. “I work in Tatu. I live in Tatu. My house is like five minutes away from the office,” he said. “If I walk, it takes me around 10 minutes. If I cycle, five minutes. If I drive, it’s instant, I’ll fuel once per month.”
Karimi also highlighted how schools have been integrated into the ecosystem. “My child goes to school in Tatu, so everything revolves around the ecosystem,” he said.
According to him, mixing workspaces, homes and schools restores balance to people’s lives and eliminates the hours spent in traffic. “We are told we spend almost 30 percent of our lives in traffic,” he noted. “We are trying to eliminate that.”
A major component of the city is its industrial zone. Karimi said Tatu has set aside nearly 1,000 acres for light industries.
“Light industries are non-pollution, non-emission factories or manufacturing facilities,” he said. He listed logistics, assembly, food processing and storage among the types of businesses suited for the area.
“Anything that doesn’t do emissions, that doesn’t happen at midnight the way heavy industries do,” he said, explaining the harmony between industries and residential neighbourhoods.
Karimi added that mixed-use must be paired with mixed-income planning to create genuine inclusivity.
“The city is not for the affluent community. It caters for everyone,” he said. “We call it mixed-use, mixed-income development.” This applies to both residential and commercial properties.
“We have from affordable housing all the way to luxury housing,” he said. “There are houses going for even a million dollars, and at the same time houses going for around 4 million, 5 million.”
Schools form another part of the city’s backbone. “Today, we have 6000 learners in Tatu across six schools,” he said, adding that the seventh school has been onboarded and the eighth is expected in February.
He listed both private and public options, including international curricula and public institutions.
Karimi said the goal of these city-scale plans is long-term stability. “Everything that we do is not for today, it’s not for tomorrow,” he said. “We plan 50 years ahead.”
