Westlands is a suburb of Nairobi that was until the early 1980s composed of residential homes and a few shops which has now developed into a major commercial and economic area outside the Central Business District of Nairobi. It was initially considered part of the Parklands area and straddled what is now Waiyaki Way, originally the Kenya Uganda Railway.

The Sarit Centre shopping mall is located in Westlands. Also, newly Westgate shopping centre has opened in Westlands.

[edit] Westlands division

Apart from being a commercial centre, Westlands is also one the eight administrative divisions in Nairobi. The division consists of the following six subdivisions (locations):

• Parklands
• Kitisuru
• Highridge
• Kangemi
• Kilimani
• Lavington

Westlands is also an electoral contituency, the Westlands Constituency. It has the same borders with Westlands division.

[edit] The Deep Sea Settlement

Within the Westlands division lies the Deep Sea Settlement. This is a shanty town of approximately 7,000 inhabitants. In 2005 a private firm, with police support, began bulldozing homes, an act the Kenyan high court deemed illegal, due to a law allowing people land rights after squatting there for more than 12 years. Combined with this land-rights issue, poverty is rife and is exacerbated by the area's poor sanitation.^{[1] [2]}

[edit] References

1. ^ Amnesty International UK: Deep Sea Settlement - Kenya, http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=11418&ArticleID=3300, retrieved 2009-08-31 
2. ^ Kenya Broadcasting Corporation: Uhuru presents ambitious budget, http://www.kbc.co.ke/story.asp?ID=57926, retrieved 2009-08-31 

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Coordinates: 1°16′S 36°48′E / 1.267°S 36.8°E / -1.267; 36.8