This is a guide to rental houses in Ruiru, commonly referred to as Ruiru Ndani.
It’s perfect if you don’t know where to find affordable houses in Ruiru, and you want to avoid scammers.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry. I will show you where to find affordable single rooms, double rooms, bedsitters, 1 (one), 2 (two), and 3(three) bedroom houses in Ruiru.
Say, for example, you want a Ksh 8,000 bedsitter. Use this guide to identify the places with a bedsitter going for Ksh 8,000 or less, then go there and see if there is one that is vacant.
Please note that all prices are in Kenya Shillings (Ksh.) per month.
Highlights
I’ll show you where to find:
•Single rooms 3,500
•Double rooms 6,000
•Bedsitters 5,000
•1 bedroom 9,000
•2 bedroom 15,000
Welcome to Ruiru, the industrial town.
The industries located here include:
•Angels Kenya
•Spinners and Spinners
•Devki Steel Mills
•Ruiru Mabati
•BURN Manufacturing
I couldn’t help but notice the town center in Ruiru resembles Nyeri town. For a moment, I thought I was in Nyeri! I don’t know why they look so similar, but maybe it’s because these two towns are agemates (developed around the same time).
By the way, I saw the “Illuminati house of Ruiru,” where nobody has lived for close to 30 years!
There are stories of how, after renting, voices will talk to you at night, telling you to vacate. Stories of how you will find your belongings outside, or find your utensils cleaned. Or food already cooked. Mmmh, okay…
Only one person lives here, the watchman.
I don’t have the picture of the house, just go Google “Illuminati house of Ruiru”. Or read about it here.
All right. Let’s dive in.
How far is Ruiru from Nairobi?
The distance from Odeon Cinema in Nairobi to Ruiru is 23.9 km.
Where do I board matatu to Ruiru?
The Ruiru matatu stage in Nairobi is located at Odeon Cinema.
Is Ruiru in Kiambu County?
Yes, Ruiru is in Kiambu County.
The postal code for Ruiru is 00232.
Where is Ruiru Bypass located?
Riuru Bypass is located at the intersection of Thika Road and Eastern Bypass. When coming from Nairobi through Thika Road, it’s just before you get to Ruiru town center (commonly known as Ruiru Ndani).
Fare from Nairobi CBD to Ruiru
Ksh. 50 during off-peak hours
Ksh. 80 during rush hour.
Let’s do the math. If you commute daily to town in the morning and get back in the evening, this is what your budget will look like:
(80×2) x 5 days = 800
800 x 4 weeks = 3,200
In addition to rent, you’ll spend approximately Ksh. 3,200 in fare per month if you decide to live in Ruiru.
Traffic jam pain points
The main traffic jam pain points when heading to Nairobi CBD are Muthaiga area and Globe Roundabout.
In the evening, you will find traffic jam from Allsops (GSU Headquarters), all the way to Garden City Mall.
Other fares
Fare from Ruiru to KU/Kahawa Wendani
Ksh. 50
Fare from Ruiru to Allsops
Ksh. 80
Fare from Ruiru to Kahawa West
Ksh. 50
Fare from Ruiru to Marurui
Ksh. 70
Fare from Ruiru to Ruaka
Ksh. 90
Fare from Ruiru to Kiambu
Ksh. 60
Fare from Ruiru to Kikuyu
Ksh. 160
Fare from Ruiru to Limuru
Ksh. 160
Fare from Ruiru to Roysambu
Ksh. 70
Fare from Ruiru to Thika
Ksh. 50
Fare from Ruiru to Gatundu
Ksh. 80
Fare from Ruiru to Kibichoi
Ksh. 100
Fare from Ruiru to Juja
Ksh. 50
Fare from Ruiru to Githunguri
Ksh. 80-100
Water availability
7 out of the 10 people I talked to said they had no water challenges.
The other 3 said they buy borehole water at Ksh. 5 or 10 per 20-liter jerrican.
Food prices in Ruiru
8/10 of the people I talked to said that food prices in Ruiru market are average. 2 said they are low.
Verdict: I visited the market, checked the prices and I can confirm food here is cheap.
Is Ruiru safe?
So far in 2024, there have been 3 cases of insecurity in Ruiru reported in the media here, here, and here.
And what about unreported cases?
For the unreported cases, I talked to the residents.
7 of the 10 people I talked to said Ruiru town is safe. I was told it’s almost 5 years since they had serious cases of insecurity. The only ones left are petty mobile phone thieves.
Business opportunities
Thinking of starting a business in Ruiru? Consider one of these:
•In the town center, mobile phone shop
•Shoes or clothes thrift shop
•Food joint (Chips palace, kibanda).
•Pub, wines and spirits.
•Mutura joint.
What residents love about Ruiru
“High population is good for business.”
“Cheap food in the market.”
“Life is affordable.”
“Good weather.”
What residents don’t like about Ruiru
“Wataalam Road is dirty. Dirty trenches and dirty road.”
“Insecurity along Wataalam Road. Unsafe at night.”
“Noise pollution by promotion caravans and motorbikes.”
“Frequent power blackouts.”
“Water challenges.”
“Poor leadership.”
All right! Let’s now dive in.
Places in Ruiru you’ll find affordable rental houses
When at Masaku matatu stage near Spinners & Spinners, take a left turn.
Then take a right turn to join the road leading to Spinners Boys or Matopeni Primary School.
Along this long stretch of road, you will find:
•Single rooms 3,500 ; 4,000 ; 4,500
•Bedsitters 5,000 ; 6,500 ; 7,500 ; 8,500 ; 9,000
•1 bedroom 9,000 ; 11,000 ; 12,000 ; 13,000 ; 14,000 ; 15,000
… and more single rooms scattered around this area. One disadvantage of this road is that it’s dusty.
Rental houses along Wataalam Road
Wataalam Road is long, so I’ll divide it into sections.
The very first section from the entrance off Ruiru-Kamiti Road but before you reach Repzol Energy, there are:
•Single rooms 4,500
•Double rooms 7,000
•Bedsitters 8,000
•1 bedroom 12,000 ; 14,000 ; 15,000
•2 bedroom 15,000 ; 18,000
After Repzol Energy, but before Deliverance Church, you will find:
•Single rooms 4,000
•Double rooms 6,000
•Bedsitters 6,000
•1 bedroom 8,000 ; 10,000 ; 15,000
•2 bedroom 20,000
After Deliverance Church up to the first corner of Wataalam Road, you’ll find:
•Single rooms 3,500
•Double rooms 7,500
•Bedsitters 6,500
Send this post’s link to a friend who wants to relocate to Ruiru.
Check out what business opportunities you can exploit in Ruiru Bypass.
