The Birmingham Of Kenya

About Thika
'Thika' is a market town in Central Province, Kenya, lying on the A2 road 40 km north east of Nairobi, and on the Thika River. Thika has a population of 88,265 (1999 census)[1] and is growing rapidly, like the entire greater Nairobi area. The elevation of Thika is 1531 meters (5026 feet) in altitude.[2]
Thika, Kenya is home to the Chania Falls and the Thika Falls, while Ol Donyo Sabuk National Park lies to its south east.

The town has a railway station, but there is only limited passenger service. The town is headquarters of the Thika District. The district is the prime pineapple-growing region in Kenya.

Thika is close to "Fourteen Falls" which is a popular picnic site.
Thika was formerly a center for light industry, but the focus has shifted to the Athi River. The decline of the textile industry has hit local firms, including Thika Cloth Mills (TCM), which is a cotton to fabric manufacturer that competes against Egyptian & Chinese manufacturers.

''The Flame Trees of Thika (Memories of an African Childhood)'' is a book by Elspeth Huxley, later adapted for television by the BBC. It describes the life of English settlers in the "White Highlands" in Edwardian times. A flame tree turns entirely reddish orange in June each year, depending on the previous rainfall.

Infor Courtesy Wikipaedia

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Breathtaking fourteen Falls Thika
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Anglican Church
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The Now Demolished Nakumatt on Thika Road
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Thika Coffee Mills
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looks pretty nice and orderly.

looks pretty nice and orderly.

Yes Thika is one of Kenya's best organised medium sized towns.

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Pineapple Capital of EA
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Municipal Hall
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Thika Tusky Supermarket (Kenya's ver of Target)
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Delmonte
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c by Cirql8rguy

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Mount Kenya University
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Inside a factory
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Thika Road expansion begins

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Nairobi-Thika road carries more than 70,000 vehicles a day

The much-awaited expansion of Thika Road, considered the busiest highway in East Africa, has begun.

Contractors are already on site clearing the road reserves to pave way for diversions. The Sh26 billion project kicked off two weeks ago -five months after the demolition of buildings that stood on the road reserve land.

The expansion, which is part of an elaborate plan to decongest city traffic, will involve changing the road from a four to eight-lane superhighway.

A brief by the Roads Ministry on the Thika road improvement project shows that the road will be divided into three sections for construction purposes totaling 50.4 km of multiple lane road. These sections are Muthaiga Roundabout - Uhuru Highway, Muthaiga Roundabout – Kenyatta University (KU) and KU – Thika.

Works on Muthaiga roundabout–Uhuru Highway section will involve widening of University Way to eight lanes from six, four lane fly over across Globe Roundabout, widening of Murang’a Road to six lanes, underpass at Pangani, flyover on Muthaiga roundabout and provision of footpaths.

On the Forest Road – Museum Road – Museum Hill roundabout section, construction works will involve widening of Forest Road to six lanes from four lanes, widening of Museum Hill road to six lanes, provision of forked fly-over on Limuru Road and provision of footpaths.

The Muthaiga roundabout-KU section has been designed as a high-speed highway with limited access and exits. The proposed improvements on this section include widening of carriageway to eight lanes- (Muthaiga – Kasarani) and 6 lanes (Kasarani – KU).

Other improvements on this section include provision of service roads intermittently, construction of underpasses at Kahawa and KU, provision of interchange at GSU roundabout, flyovers at Kasarani and Githurai roundabouts, underpass at former Nakumatt Thika Road site, subway at Survey of Kenya and provision of footpaths.

The proposed improvements of the KU-Thika section include widening the carriageway to six lanes up to Juja and maintaining the existing provision of service roads, construction of six lane flyover at Eastern Bypass, intermittent service roads, underpass at Ruiru sports club and at Mang’u High School as well as provision of footpaths.

A 2006 traffic count revealed that Nairobi-Thika road carries 70,000 vehicles a day, the highest in the East African region. It is feared that a transport crisis may be looming in the Mount Kenya region and the Northern tourism circuit if construction works begin without a clear traffic flow.

However, the Ministry of Road, which is overseeing the project, and the traffic unit of police department say they are drawing a traffic management plan for the road once the main works begin. The work is expected to last more than two years.

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/image/view/-/549080/highRes/70616/-/maxw/600/-/92y37qz/-/home+pix.jpg

Inside a factory
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3082/3114799475_0bd358b435.jpg?v=0

Thika Road expansion begins

http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/image/view/-/591212/medRes/75256/-/maxw/600/-/ti6d7bz/-/biz+sub+1+pix.jpg
Nairobi-Thika road carries more than 70,000 vehicles a day

The much-awaited expansion of Thika Road, considered the busiest highway in East Africa, has begun.

Contractors are already on site clearing the road reserves to pave way for diversions. The Sh26 billion project kicked off two weeks ago -five months after the demolition of buildings that stood on the road reserve land.

The expansion, which is part of an elaborate plan to decongest city traffic, will involve changing the road from a four to eight-lane superhighway.

A brief by the Roads Ministry on the Thika road improvement project shows that the road will be divided into three sections for construction purposes totaling 50.4 km of multiple lane road. These sections are Muthaiga Roundabout - Uhuru Highway, Muthaiga Roundabout – Kenyatta University (KU) and KU – Thika.

Works on Muthaiga roundabout–Uhuru Highway section will involve widening of University Way to eight lanes from six, four lane fly over across Globe Roundabout, widening of Murang’a Road to six lanes, underpass at Pangani, flyover on Muthaiga roundabout and provision of footpaths.

On the Forest Road – Museum Road – Museum Hill roundabout section, construction works will involve widening of Forest Road to six lanes from four lanes, widening of Museum Hill road to six lanes, provision of forked fly-over on Limuru Road and provision of footpaths.

The Muthaiga roundabout-KU section has been designed as a high-speed highway with limited access and exits. The proposed improvements on this section include widening of carriageway to eight lanes- (Muthaiga – Kasarani) and 6 lanes (Kasarani – KU).

Other improvements on this section include provision of service roads intermittently, construction of underpasses at Kahawa and KU, provision of interchange at GSU roundabout, flyovers at Kasarani and Githurai roundabouts, underpass at former Nakumatt Thika Road site, subway at Survey of Kenya and provision of footpaths.

The proposed improvements of the KU-Thika section include widening the carriageway to six lanes up to Juja and maintaining the existing provision of service roads, construction of six lane flyover at Eastern Bypass, intermittent service roads, underpass at Ruiru sports club and at Mang’u High School as well as provision of footpaths.

A 2006 traffic count revealed that Nairobi-Thika road carries 70,000 vehicles a day, the highest in the East African region. It is feared that a transport crisis may be looming in the Mount Kenya region and the Northern tourism circuit if construction works begin without a clear traffic flow.

However, the Ministry of Road, which is overseeing the project, and the traffic unit of police department say they are drawing a traffic management plan for the road once the main works begin. The work is expected to last more than two years.


Wow that is alot of work.

I cannot put it to words but whenever I see a picture of Nairobi and Thika by heart skips a beat. I am not sure why Kenya has so much effect on me. I lived there for 3 years. I got so much wonderful memories.

I was in the refugee camp just out of Thika. We used to chew Mirah and then go to the tiny village made of huts next to us at night and get drunk from Chang'ah. Eastliegh and South B in Nairobi, ha ha. Once we got picked up from Eastliegh at 2AM by police with hundreds of others. Our crime was drinking after hours. In my 2 years then I never realized it was illegal to drink after 2AM, most bars were full until dawn with people getting drenched in Tusker and other drinks.

For me I stayed in Thika briefly after my High School with an Uncle and just like Nairobi their are all sorts of stuff going on. I believe with the completion of the new Thika highway and newly proposed housing estates Thika should reclaim its place as Nairobi's Twin City they are only like 50 km apart.

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UNFCCC

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Kironji

Coffee Beans
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Kathleen

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Ajith

Thika Town evening sky silhouette
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Kenya: Build a Tourist Lodge at the Popular Thika Fourteen Falls
27 February 2009

Investment opportunity: Tourism & Leisure
There is an opportunity to build a lodge at the Thika Fourteen Falls to serve tourists visiting the slopes of Aberdare mountains.The area around the Falls neighbours a game park and is also a popular picnic site.

Promoter: The Kenya Tourist Development Corporation
Name of Project: Thika Fourteen Falls Lodge Project

The fourteen Falls on River Chania lies just outside the Ol-Donyo Sabuk game park near the industrial town of Thika. The area is surrounded by large-scale coffee and pineapple plantations.

Project objective: To provide lodge facilities to tourists visiting the slopes of Aberdare mountains.

Project site: The project will be located 15 km East of Thika town which is adequately supplied with water, electricity and telecommunication services. A site has been identified and preliminary architectural plans have been prepared.

Project cost: The project is planned to provide 50-bed accommodation and is estimated to cost US$ 0.73 million with Kenya Tourist Development Corporation (KTDC) commitment of US$3, 636 in terms of pre-operational expenses.

Promoter's expectations: Foreign cooperation is sought in form of equity participation (40% of the investment), technical and management arrangement.

Sector profile:
The tourism sector last year witnessed the worst performance in four years following the post election turmoil and the weakened global economy. Industry players are however optimistic about its recovery, with fortunes already turning around.

Business
The sector was experiencing historical growth by 2007 when earnings hit the $1 billion mark and international arrivals totalled two million.

Tourism has enormous potential and the ongoing promotion efforts have given rise to many investment opportunities in developing new hotels and recreational properties, expanding existing facilities and upgrading infrastructure.

Investors still showed confidence in Kenya as a safe place to invest in - the country had the biggest increase worldwide in foreign direct investment during 2008. Greenfield data from fDi Intelligence showed a1150% increase in FDI, the highest of any country monitored in the year.

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Barclays Bank,Thika
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Thika Hustle & Bustle
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To Garissa Road
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dejantod

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K.A.R.I HQ

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K.A.R.I Hq Thika-KARI/Govt of Kenya
Design Architect, presentation and documentation
Cost :97 million

nice looking little city!!!

I really like how Kenya's smaller cities seem to be quite dense from the pics. Not just expanding out in some huge urban sprawl.

Thanx guyz, its actually bigger than it seems.

More Thika Town.
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Lifestyle Gated Community
(Proposed Controlled Development)
Client:
Thika Greens Limited
P.O Box 16961 – 00100
Nairobi
Location:
Thika Municipality

Project Value:
Boundary wall and gate house = KSh 8 Million

Project Status:
Ongoing

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Project Thika Greens Golf Course Estate - Thika
Client:
Thika Greens Limited
P.O Box 16961 – 00100
Nairobi

Project:
Golf Course =330 Million Club Houses =106Million
Hotel = 240 Million

Project Status:-Proposal stage

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Picturesque 14 Falls THIKA
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(c) Paul Wynn Photography

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(c) Louisianaly

Nairobi - Thika Highway U/C (Kenya's Bussiest Highway)
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Thika Streetscene
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(c) IFDC Photography

crapload of estate construction in thika

this is flame tree estate and there is a mall under construction too

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here is the mall. if you strain your eyes you can read the billboard in red, thanks to KNIGHT FRANK

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this estate is HUGE!!!! i could not believe that thika is developing this much and so fast!!!

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another new estate called kivulini

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Dear kenyan friends, I am impressed by the beauty and the development of your country.

check the natural pics section for pictures of the surrounding kilimabogo and yatta that i took as i travelled through there

I speak of All in your country.

Dear kenyan friends, I am impressed by the beauty and the development of your country. I speak of All in your country.

thank you sir!

Thika is the city where I went to High School, circa early 90's. Great to see all the upcoming developments. Those pictures of Thika Library brought some nostalgia, I remember going there while still in Primary school, just to read books with pictures, then cutting out the pictures of cars, guns, etc. lol

Fast forward in the millenia, I now know better, pole to those who read those books with all the pictures cut out. As for that estate Flame Tree Park, it has been there for a while, I think it started around 2007 or thereabouts but they were still trying to sell most of the units last time I checked. I think the whole idea of buying an apartment unit is still slowly warming up in other places besides Nairobi.

Thika offers an alternative to Nairobi, and so far it's infrastructure like roads, water, sewer, has good capacity. The superhighway will certainly bring more people to settle there, I hope the Thika planners are able to maintain a clean and well laid out place.

GK