Ofafa is a southeastern neighborhood of Nairobi, Kenya in a low income, high-density area generally known as the Eastlands.[1] Politically it belongs to Makadara Constituency. In the mid-1950s the Quakers erected a building in Ofafa to act as a hub for individual craftspeople making and selling furniture.[2] It is also known for its Jericho school.
Ofafa | |
|---|---|
Suburb | |
  Ofafa Location in Kenya | |
| Coordinates: 1°17′38″S 36°51′39″E / 1.29389°S 36.86083°E | |
| Country |  Kenya |
| Region | Nairobi region |
| County | Nairobi County |
Early housing estates there were part of Erica Mann's planning work in the 1940s and 1950s.[3] The Ofafa Jerusalem scheme created two-storey blocks of maisonettes that were connected to the electrical supply, had an internal water supply and sanitation, and were surrounded by ample open space.[4] The 1950s Ofafa Jericho estate was built in a similar style but now houses about 50,000 people: five times more than it was intended for.[1] People are living in poor quality iron sheet extensions and water and waste management are inadequate.[1]
Ofafa was named after Ambrose Ofafa, a prominent politician who received a Colonial Service award on the 1953 Coronation Honours list, and was murdered in November of the same year.[5]