Ruiru
Ruiru is a town in the Kiambu County in Kenya. It sits within the greater Nairobi Metropolitan region. According to the 2019 national population census, Ruiru is the 6th largest urban center in Kenya. Location. Ruiru is located about , by road, northeast of the central business district of Nairobi, the nation's capital city. The town measures and is connected to Nairobi by both road and rail. The geographical co-ordinates of Ruiru are: 1°10'04.0"S, 36°58'24.0"E (Latitude: −1.167778; Longitude: 36.973333). The town sits at an average elevation of , above sea level. History. This area was  a sisal and coffee growing district with sisal on either side of the river to the right of the main road to Thika. As can be seen it is now a housing area. There used to be four main manager houses on the estate on the South side of the river. The area was given over to an African consortium to be developed into small holdings in the 1970s. Infrastructure Projects. Ruiru is home to major government and private infrastructure developments among them Tatu City, a 5,000 acre mixed-use project. The proposed Northlands City project is also found in  this area. Population. In 2009, Ruiru's population was enumerated at 238,858 residents. Ten years later, the 2019 national census enumerated the population of the town at 490,120. The rapid population growth is attributable to several factors. One factor, is the shortage of affordable residential housing in Nairobi. Another factor being the infrastructure development especially Thika Road and Nairobi Eastern Bypass Highway. as well as the associated commercial and residential development that followed the new highways. A third factor is the presence of university campuses in or near Ruiru. Education. Two universities have their main campuses in Ruiru, Kenyatta University  and Zetech University. The University of Nairobi and other institutions of higher education have campuses in or near Ruiru. Neighborhoods. The expansive Ruiru urban sprawl comprises many neighborhoods including Ruiru CBD, Tatu City, Kahawa, Githurai, Mwihoko, Membley, Kamakis, Varsity Ville among others. Economy. Ruiru is also an industrial town with several major factories, including Devki Steel Mills, Super Foam Limited, Spinners & Spinners Garment Factory Ruiru mabati Factory and Ruiru Feeds Limited. The town is well served by banks and shopping malls and currently is enjoying a housing boom, as many coffee estates are converted into residential areas, including an upcoming  multi-billion Tatu Estate. Information and communication technology businesses are also emerging, including SmartEdge PASHA Center, a digital village where the community can buy computers and find free computer training. Politics. Hon Esther Gathogo was Member of Parliament from 2013 to 2017. Hon. Simon Ng'ang'a King'ara became the area's Member of Parliament after winning the August 2017 general elections.