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Henna artist Abiba Aden, popularly known as Queen Bloom Beauty, applies an intricate bridal henna design for a client at her Eastleigh beauty business.\/ABDIMALIK ADOW<\/p>\nDelivery trucks snake through narrow streets, traders lift their shutters, and thousands of shoppers stream into one of Kenya’s busiest commercial districts, where fortunes are made\u2014and increasingly tested\u2014every single day.<\/p>\n
By mid-morning, the commercial district is buzzing with activity
\nas thousands of shoppers bargain for clothes, electronics, cosmetics, food and
\nhousehold items.<\/p>\n
From First Avenue to 12th Street, Eastleigh is more than a
\nmarketplace\u2014it is a symbol of ambition, resilience and opportunity. Every shop
\nhas a story, and behind every counter is an entrepreneur striving to build a
\nbetter future.<\/p>\n
For Abiba Aden, popularly known as Queen Bloom Beauty, henna
\nartistry has transformed from a childhood passion into a thriving business.<\/p>\n
“I have always loved beauty, creativity and making
\npeople feel confident. What started as applying henna for family and friends
\ngradually grew into a business because people kept recommending my work,”
\nshe says.<\/p>\n
She chose Eastleigh because of its vibrant and culturally
\ndiverse community where henna remains an important part of weddings, Eid
\ncelebrations, engagements and other special occasions.<\/p>\n
“My customers are mainly brides, wedding guests and
\nyoung women preparing for religious and cultural celebrations. The most
\nrequested designs are bridal henna, Arabic patterns, Somali-inspired designs
\nand Gulf styles,” she explains.<\/p>\n
Henna artist Abiba Aden, popularly known as Queen Bloom Beauty, applies an intricate bridal henna design for a client at her Eastleigh beauty business.\/ABDIMALIK ADOW<\/p>\n
Like many entrepreneurs, Abiba faces stiff competition,
\nseasonal demand and the challenge of sourcing high-quality natural henna.
\n<\/p>\n
Despite the hurdles, she hopes to expand her brand, train young women
\ninterested in henna artistry and grow her business beyond Kenya.<\/p>\n
Not every trader has experienced the same growth.<\/p>\n
In Section 9, Brian James, who sells official shirts, says
\nbusiness has slowed considerably.<\/p>\n
“I had hoped to achieve much more. Before, I could sell
\nnearly 50 shirts, but now I hardly sell more than 10. Business has become
\ndifficult,” he says.<\/p>\n
A few streets away on 12th Street, egg vendor Jackson Kuli
\nsays rising living costs have affected customer spending.<\/p>\n
“I sell one egg for Sh14 and also trays of eggs.
\nSometimes business is good, but other days people tell me they will come back
\ntomorrow because they don’t have money. The government should help because the
\ncost of living is high,” he says.<\/p>\n
At Bangkok Shopping Centre, Hafso, who has been selling
\ncosmetics and perfumes for the past two years, says income varies from one day
\nto another.<\/p>\n
“Some days I make good sales, while on other days
\nbusiness is slow, but Alhamdulillah we continue working,” she says.<\/p>\n
Nearby, electronics dealer Hussein points to high taxes and
\nintense competition as the biggest challenges facing traders.<\/p>\n
“Taxes are high and there is a lot of competition in
\nthe market. We have to work harder to attract customers,” he says.<\/p>\n
For Halima, who sells food along 12th Street, the business
\nis about survival.<\/p>\n
“Business is low, but we keep pushing because we have
\nchildren to feed,” she says.<\/p>\n
Despite these challenges, Omar Ibrahim Hussein, Secretary
\nGeneral of the Eastleigh Business District Association, believes Eastleigh
\nremains one of Kenya’s strongest commercial centres.<\/p>\n
“Business in Eastleigh is strong and continues to grow.
\nThe district has developed into a major commercial hub, supported by
\nlarge-scale investments such as BBS Mall. These developments have created
\nemployment opportunities, generated government revenue and strengthened
\nEastleigh’s position as a regional trading centre,” he says.<\/p>\n
THE NUMBERS<\/p>\n
According to Hussein, there are about more than 25,000 shops and over 70 malls in Eastleigh, and the numbers keep growing.<\/p>\n
“2024 alone saw hundreds of new businesses open, including new
\nbuildings like Waqaf Towers and Moon Plaza,” Hussein says.<\/p>\n
The Secretary General of the Eastleigh Business District Association further says the\u00a0scale of Eastleigh\u2019s economy is enormous. <\/p>\n
“Governor Sakaja himself told the President
\ndirectly that the economy of Eastleigh is larger than the economy of Rwanda \u2014 that is not my
\nestimate; that is a statement made publicly by the Governor of Nairobi. When you consider the
\nvolume of trade moving through our malls every single day, from wholesale buyers to retail
\nshoppers, you are looking at billions of shillings changing hands annually. This is one of the
\nmost active commercial economies in East Africa.”<\/p>\n
On the numbers of employment opportunities created in Eastleigh, Hussein says the area sustains an enormous workforce. <\/p>\n
“We are talking about tens of thousands of people
\nemployed directly \u2013 as traders, shop attendants, tailors, transporters, and mall staff \u2013 and many more tens of thousands who depend on it indirectly, through the supply chains that bring
\nin goods from China, Dubai and Turkey. When you add the boda boda riders, the porters, and
\nthe food vendors who feed this entire ecosystem, Eastleigh is one of the largest employment
\nengines in Nairobi,” Hussein said.<\/p>\n
Hussein also said the business hub contributes close to 30 per cent of Nairobi
\nCounty\u2019s revenue, and on the national side, he says Eastleigh accounts for between 35 and 40 per cent of
\nall tax collected by KRA in Nairobi. <\/p>\n
“That is documented, not our estimate,” Hussein said.<\/p>\n
According to Hussein, Eastleigh plays a critical role in
\nKenya’s economy by supporting thousands of livelihoods through wholesale and
\nretail trade, transport, logistics and other service industries.<\/p>\n
“Eastleigh attracts customers from across Kenya and
\nneighbouring countries. It contributes significantly to government revenue
\nthrough taxes and levies while facilitating regional commerce that strengthens
\nthe broader economy,” he says.<\/p>\n
However, he acknowledges that traffic congestion and
\nunregulated street hawking continue to hinder business operations.<\/p>\n
“The most significant challenge is traffic congestion,
\nwhich affects the movement of people and goods. Addressing these issues
\nrequires coordinated efforts between traders and public authorities,” he
\nsays.<\/p>\n
On how many, shoppers visit Eastleigh daily, Hussein said, “The footfall in Eastleigh is constant, from early morning until late at night. We receive both
\nretail shoppers from across Nairobi and bulk buyers who travel from as far as Tanzania to
\npurchase in volume. On any given day, thousands upon thousands of people pass through our
\nstreets and malls \u2014 Eastleigh is, without question, one of the busiest trading destinations.”<\/p>\n
APPEAL AND THE FUTURE<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Hussein says technology is creating fresh opportunities for young entrepreneurs through e-commerce, digital marketing, logistics and online retail.<\/p>\n
“Our vision is for Eastleigh to become a world-class commercial destination with modern infrastructure, enhanced investment and expanded economic opportunities. Continued growth will create employment, attract more investment and strengthen Eastleigh’s reputation as a centre of entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusive economic development,” he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“My message to Nairobi and to the national government is simple. Eastleigh is already carrying a heavy share of this country\u2019s revenue. What we are asking for is recognition \u2014 and investment \u2014 that matches that contribution.”<\/p>\n
As evening falls and shopkeepers begin counting the day’s
\nearnings, some celebrate profitable sales while others close their doors hoping
\ntomorrow will be better. <\/p>\n
Yet, from sunrise to sunset, Eastleigh never loses its
\nentrepreneurial spirit. It remains a place where dreams are built one customer
\nat a time, proving that despite economic challenges, the heartbeat of Nairobi’s
\nbusiness district continues to grow stronger every day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Delivery trucks snake through narrow streets, traders lift their shutters, and thousands of shoppers stream into one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":715578,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[236927,84,236925,236933,236928,236936,236926,4203,236935,236931,144441,236929,236934,236932,236930,742,46995,22666,171238,144442,22667,144440,22665,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-715577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-entrepreneurship","tag-bbs-mall","tag-business","tag-eastleigh-business","tag-eastleigh-business-district-association","tag-eastleigh-economy","tag-eastleigh-market","tag-eastleigh-traders","tag-entrepreneurship","tag-entrepreneurship-kenya","tag-henna-artist-eastleigh","tag-kenya-news","tag-nairobi-business-hub","tag-omar-ibrahim-hussein","tag-queen-bloom-beauty","tag-small-businesses-kenya","tag-star","tag-star-news","tag-star-news-kenya","tag-star-newspaper","tag-star-newspaper-kenya","tag-the-star","tag-the-star-kenya","tag-the-star-newspaper","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=715577"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/715577\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/715578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=715577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=715577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=715577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}