Banana Hill

Banana Hill is a suburb of Karuri town, in the eastern part of Kiambu County, Central Province of Kenya. Banana Hill's population constitutes 20 percent of the estimated 100,000 residents within the heart of Kiambaa Constituency.

The town situated 2,000 m above sea level, approximately 20 km north of Nairobi City via Limuru Road by Runda Estate. It is approachable from an alternate route, the Limuru, Kiambaa/Kiambu and Ndenderu/Redhill all-weather roads. Banana Hill comprises small estates named Banana town, Mombasa, Gacorui, Ndunyu, Miberethi Inana ('Eight Pipes'), and Thimbigwa.

Its location in the temperate Kenyan Highlands^[1] is thought to have been one of the major attractions for its former British colonizers. The area receives an average annual rainfall of 790 mm (31 in) with average temperatures ranging from 48–84 °F in January and 45–79 °F in July. Most mornings and evenings are chilly.

History

Banana Hills was so-named by British Colonial soldiers, locally known as johnnies, who could only see banana plantations as they looked downhill towards the capital city, Nairobi, whenever they drove their military trucks over the hills en route to Limuru. The green scenery has rapidly been replaced with mushroomed red rooftops of mansions as the city of Nairobi spread north.^[2]

Landmarks and other features

Coffee farming has been an important revenue source for the Banana Hill area, but has been on the decline as many land owners opt to resort to real-estate and building rentals where global prices for coffee have been in decline. The area is also known for dairy farming; and for horticulture, such as small-scale flower growing, from which a number of families have made livelihoods.

Banana Hill Art Studio

Banana Hill has world renown as a locale where multiple contemporary artists, The Banana Hill Artists, display and sell their work at the famed Banana Hill Art Studio (see photo). The work-cum-gallery setting was an idea originated by twelve artists in 1992, and has steadily grown into a representation site for the work of nearly four dozen artists.^[3][4][5][6]

Banks, health centre, police station, and post office

• Banana Hill features branches of Family Bank Limited (FBL),^[7] Postbank,^[8] and Kenya Women Finance Trust Ltd. (KWFT),^[9] a microfinancing institution.
• Karuri Health Centre is one of the oldest medical centres in the country. It provides outpatient services to area residents, has an 18-bed capacity; and offers maternity services.
• Karuri Police Station.
• Karuri Post office serves the following areas: Nairobi North – Kangemi, Kikuyu, Githunguri, Nazareth, Limuru, and the Postal Corporation of Kenya, Karuri.

Churches, faiths, and denominations

The oldest churches of the Banana Hill area were based on Protestant (primarily Anglican) and Catholic faiths. The major churches of Banana Hill are St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Karuri; and member churches of the ACK (Anglican Church of Kenya), such as ACK Emmanuel Church Karuri,^[10] ACK Thimbigwa Church, and ACK Banana Hill Church and Restoration victory Ministries International. Within the recent past, many other churches of different denominations have sprung up.

Schools in and near Banana Hill

• Primary (elementary) schools in the area include Karuri Primary School; Kiambaa Primary School; Msingi Bora Academy;^[11] Muthurwa Primary School; Thimbigwa Primary School and others.
• Secondary (high) schools include Karuri High School;^[12] Muthurwa High School; Senior Chief Koinange High School;^[13] and off Banana-Kiambu Road in Kiambaa, Kiambu District—Banana Hill High School, a private secondary school offering French-language coursework.^[14][15]
• A nearby postsecondary school is Banana Hill Technical Training Institute, in Karuri town.^[16]

Shopping, internet cafes, salons, and entertainment

Banana Hill has recently acquired its own identity as a significant shopping district in Kiambaa Division. It has also become an important transport exchange point. The town has hair salons, hardware stores, supermarkets, a good number of entertainment spots; and hosts a number of internet cafes. It also has a large market where farm produce and clothing items are bought and sold; and a large open-air market operating only on Mondays and Thursdays.

Ethnic makeup

Banana Hill is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial town with a reputation for welcoming refugees fleeing from local and international conflict areas, amongst them: Uganda, Mozambique, and South Africa when it was under apartheid rule. It is rumored that Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda sojourned in Banana Hill during his years in exile. The same has been rumored of the late John Garang, head of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement, which spearheaded the July 9, 2011, founding of the Republic of Southern Sudan. Also families of prominent Ugandans like the Late Katunku Nicholas, late Kirya Balaki Kebba Leader of Uganda Freedom Movement fighting group, Adok Nekyon cousin brother of the late President Milton OboteAir force Major Lutaya, Nampenda Philip, Muvule, Wamusi Teddy all lived in Banana hill from 1981-1985 when they went back to Uganda.

Transit and transportation

Banana Hills is a major transit point for passengers traveling to Limuru, Kiambu, Wangige, Kikuyu town and other outlying areas. The use of matatu vehicles (simplified plural, matatus) as primary means of commercial transportation is an idea believed to have been started in Banana Hill and other rural areas surrounding the capital, due to shortages and time deficiencies in bus transportation systems. The matatu system relies on use of privately owned vehicles with assigned drives and touts, for which passengers are charged slightly higher fares than for bus travel. Matatus are, essentially, the strongest competition for bus transportation systems and taxi cabs outside of the capital city, and provide essential transportation for large numbers of commuters who work in the capital and large towns, but cannot afford ownership of vehicles. All vehicles used commercially for transportation of goods and passengers must be licensed.^[17]

Prominent people from Banana Hill

• Sr. Chief Fredrick Kiniti Njonjo (Rtd.), a renowned Karuri village Headman before he was promoted and transferred to Makuyu, Murang'a District.
• Geoffrey Gatama Geturo, a co-founder (with Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, MBS, OBE and Joseph Kamiru Gikubu, MBS) of Starehe Boys' Centre and School.
• Gideon Waweru Gathunguri, founder and owner of the Banana Hill Studios, with branches in various towns in Kenya. Many Kenyans have posed for their photos in one of his studios. Gideon made history in the dark days of the KANU party's monopoly on Kenya politics, when he challenged the then area MP (Member of Parliament), Mbiyu Koinange for the political seat, and ended up in detention.
• James Njenga Karume, a long-time area representative in the Parliament of Kenya and a renowned Kenyan businessman.
• Captain John Kiniti, an experienced airline pilot with Kenya Airways. He retired in December 2012, after over 30 years of distinguished flying career. A humble compassionate gentleman who contributes generously to causes of people in need. He has great love for Banana Hill and its people, who have a lot of respect for him in return.

The late James Kabui Githara' (1943–2012) The creator of The Simple Crossword, He Africanized the crossword puzzle for Kenyans readers since 1982. In the '80s and '90s his crossword puzzles were featured in all Kenyan newspapers, The Nation newspapers, The standard newspaper The East African and The People newspaper. A history and Economics graduate of Nairobi University he was board of Governors of several high schools.

• Joseph Kamiru Gikubu, MBS, a co-founder (with Dr. Geoffrey William Griffin, MBS, OBE and Geoffrey Gatama Geturo, MBS) of Starehe Boys' Centre and School.
• Bishop Margaret Wangari, a famous evangelist and faith healer who made Banana Hill her home, and became pioneer of the Pentecostal movement there. She is said to have received the gifts of healing in the 1970s. Many people came to know the Banana Hill area then, as they made pilgrimage in search of miracle healing. She is founder of the Anointed Christian Fellowship, a ministry credited with the founding of many Pentecostal churches in the area and around the country.^[18]
• Mbiyu Gakuura, Kiambaa Senator in Kenya's pre-independence era.^[19]
• Mbiyu Koinange, son of the former famous colonial Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu who was the Kiambaa Constituency representative in the Parliament of Kenya from 1963 to 1974. His fame is as a powerful government minister, and a very close confidante of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta.

Mbiyu Koinange was the first Kenyan African to receive a master's degree. He is also the grandfather of Jeff Koinange, a prominent TV personality in Kenya and a former CNN employee.

• Mungai Kimari, a Commonwealth Games medalist who put Banana Hill on the world sports map.
• Naomi Wanjiku Kiniti, a well known educator, philanthropist and farmer.
• Bishop Obadiah Kariuki of Anglican Church of Kenya], Mount Kenya Diocese, who was among the very first Africans to be ordained as a bishop in the then largely white-controlled Anglican church in post-colonial Kenya.^[20][21]
• Salome Gaciku Mwaura (nyina wa Muthee), a prominent personality and businesswoman in Banana Hill town. Salome Mwaura and son Muthee (Samuel Gathunguri) are founder members of both ACK Emmanuel Church^[22] situated on Karuri High School road, and the ACK Banana Hill Church.
• Samuel Karuga Gathunguri and his spouse, Margaret Nyambura Karuga, respectably known as Nyina wa Alice have been household names in Banana Hill town. They were owners of the largest general provision store in the area for a long time. At the time, the store was Banana Hill's only distribution point for newspapers and magazines. The couple were the sole distributor of Coca Cola and agents of Mbuni Dry Cleaners, the only dry cleaner of repute then.
• Stanley Munga Githunguri, a successful businessman and former area MP (Member of Parliament).
• Stanley Ngatho wa Muthumu, a former church elder and lay leader who taught catechism to many people from the area. He served the church for 50 years and continued to offer his services even after his retirement. He died in 2010 and, in recognition of his selfless service, was buried at the ACK Thimbigwa Church compound.

References