Banana Hill

Banana Hill is a suburb of Karuri town, in the eastern part of Kiambu County, Kenya. Banana Hill's population constitutes 20 percent of the estimated 100,000 residents within Kiambaa Constituency.
The town is situated 2,000 m above sea level, approximately 20 km north of Nairobi. From there, it can be reached 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 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.
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 been replaced with mushroomed red mansion rooftops as the city of Nairobi spread north.
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 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.
Anthem healthcare providing speciality clinic services and radiology solutions.
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.
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 South 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.
Banana Hills is a major transit point for passengers traveling to Limuru, Kiambu, Wangige, Kikuyu town and other outlying areas. Matatu vehicles (simplified plural, matatus) are used as the primary means of commercial transportation. 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.
1°10′40.0″S 36°45′20.6″E﻿ / ﻿1.177778°S 36.755722°E﻿ / -1.177778; 36.755722