Banana Hill

Banana Hill is a suburb of Karuri town, in the eastern part of Kiambu District, 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 is comprised of small estates named: Banana town, Mombasa, Gacorui, Ndunyu, Miberethi Inana ('Eight Pipes'), and Thimbigwa.

Its location in the temperate Kenyan Highlands 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° to 84°F in January and 45° to 79°F in July. Most mornings and evenings are chilly.

History

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

Landmarks & other features

The Art Studio

Banana Hills

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 a large market where farm produce and clothing items are bought and sold; and a large open air market which operates only on Mondays and Thursdays.

• Banana Hill has world renown as the location of Banana Hill Art Studio, where multiple artists display and sell their work.
• Karuri Health Centre is one of the oldest in the country. It provides outpatient services to the 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
  Postal Corporation of Kenya, Karuri.

Churches and faith

The oldest churches of the Banana Hill area were based on Protestant (primarily Anglican) and Catholic faiths. The major churches in Banana Hill town are
St. Martin de Porres Catholic Church, Karuri; and member churches of the ACK (Anglican Church of Kenya), such as ACK Emmanuel Church Karuri, ACK Thimbigwa Church, and ACK Banana Hill church. There are many other churches of different denominations which have sprung up within the recent past.

Schools

• Primary (elementary) schools in the area include Karuri Primary School; Kiambaa Primary School; Msingi Bora Academy; Muthurwa Primary School; Thimbigwa Primary School and others.

• Secondary schools (high schools) and postsecondary schools include Banana Hill High School, Banana-Kiambu Road in Kiambaa, Kiambu District;
  a private secondary school which offers French language coursework; others are Banana Hill Technical Training Institute, Karuri; Karuri High
  School; Muthurwa High School; and Senior Chief Koinange High School.

Ethnic makeup

Banana Hill is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial town with a reputation for welcoming refugees originating from local and international conflict areas.

In the past, Banana Hill has welcomed people fleeing from conflict in their native countries, amongst others: Uganda, Mozambique, and South Africa during its apartheid years. And it is rumored that Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda sojourned in Banana Hill during his years in exile. The same goes with 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.

Transit

Banana Hills is a major transit point for passengers traveling to Limuru, Kiambu, Wangige, Kikuyu Town and other outlying areas.
Matatu transport business is an important aspect of Banana Hills as many of its residents travel to and from Nairobi everyday for work.

Matatu Transport Business is believed to have been started in Banana Hills before being embraced by the whole nation. Prior to this, the area was famous for small scale flower and dairy farming and a number of families to this day live off horticulture. Coffee farming has been an important business in the area but on decline as most land owners opt for rental buildings over coffee growing whose global prices have been on decline.

The town is served by the following banks: Family Bank,Equity Bank,Postbank and Kenya Women Finance.

The town has hair salons, hardware stores, supermarkets and a good number of entertainment spots; and also hosts a number of internet cafes.

Prominent people from Banana Hill

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• 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.
• Captain John Kiniti, an experienced airline pilot with Kenya Airways. A humble compassionate person 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.
• 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 Gift of Healing in the '70s. Many people came to know Banana Hills 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.
• Mbiyu Gakuura, Kiambaa Senator in Kenya's pre-independence era Legislative Council (LEGCO).
• Mbiyu Koinange, son of the former famous colonial Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu who was the Kiambaa Constituency representative in the Kenya Parliament 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 Hills on the world sports map.
• Naomi Wanjiku Kiniti, a well known educator, philanthropist and farmer.
• Hon. Njenga Karume, a long-time area representative in the Parliament of Kenya and a renowned Kenyan businessman.
• The late 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.
• Salome Gaciku Mwaura (nyina wa Muthee), a prominent personality and businesswoman in Banana Hills. Salome Mwaura and son Muthee are founder members of both ACK Emmanuel Church situated on Karuri High School road, and the ACK Banana Hill Church.
• Samwel Karuga Gathunguri and his spouse, Margaret Nyambura Karuga, respectably known as Nyina wa Alice have been household names in Banana Hill. 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 current area 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.