The thing about Lusaka Road is...
It was once called London Road. Na sio kupenda kwake.
During the colonial era, many roads in Nairobi were named after British towns, royals, politicians and settlers.
In 1964, post independence, there was a national movement to decolonize the capital’s street and road names, a defiant act of reclaiming the city. London Road became Lusaka Road, paying homage to the African nation of Zambia. By the way that Industrial Area stretch will have you on a tour of African cities including Addis Ababa Road, Dar essalam Road, Kampala Road, Lusaka Road, Mogadishu Road and Tanga Road. Heavy on Pan-Africanism, innit?
Fun Fact: Roads in Industrial Area where Lusaka Road is located are named in alphabetical order. The rest of the roads are given Kenyan town names: Bamburi, Changamwe, Funzi, Gilgil, Homabay, Isiolo, Jirore (Jilole), Lungalunga, Nanyuki…
This rich history, one which we have only but scratched the surface of, is one of the things that drew Risto za Nai to Lusaka Road. It is one of our six restoration sites in Nairobi.
So what's the plan with Lusaka Road?
So glad you asked.
Risto za Nai is growing indigenous trees along Lusaka Road in what will obviously (ha!) be a successful attempt at re-greening a road that connects Nairobi. That road has no business being that bare and parched! We refuse! So far our efforts are paying off with 99% of the trees planted during the re-greening day on 7th November 2025 thriving and gulping the gallons of water we supply every week! Yey! for us! All of us!
We hope to, with the help of the Industrial Area community of course, transform the area’s rugged mechanical identity into an awesome story of environmental reclamation, circularity and Nairobians re-connecting with nature.
Did you know that to take time to rest and just beat stories in a capitalist economy that believes in rat racing is a legit act of rebellion? Yep! It is! And that is why Risto za Nai is also creating physical ‘risto’ spaces where the masses of Nairobians plying that route to and from work can take a breather and just rest. Some will call it idling, but imagine you are deserving of rest? No shame!
So look out for our beautiful benches on Lusaka Road! And of course all the stories, aka ristos which you will be reading from these benches, sindio?
Excellent!
