Historic villas in Muthaiga, Nairobi.

Muthaiga: old Nairobi's finest

Muthaiga is the oldest elite suburb in Nairobi — established in the colonial era and named after the mukarakara trees that once lined its streets. The Muthaiga Club, founded in 1913, remains one of East Africa's most exclusive private members clubs.

The suburb has never lost its character. Enormous colonial-era bungalows set in mature gardens, diplomatic residences, and tree-lined avenues that have barely changed in decades. It is quieter and more discreet than Karen, closer to the CBD than Runda, and carries a historical weight that neither of the other two can claim.

Short-stay properties in Muthaiga tend to be genuine period houses — converted colonial bungalows with large gardens and a sense of Nairobi history that cannot be replicated anywhere else.

Location and access

Muthaiga is 10–15 minutes from the CBD, close to Pangani and the Thika Superhighway. JKIA is 25–30 minutes. The UN complex in Gigiri is 15 minutes north.