Banana Hill

Banana Hills was so-named by British colonial soldiers, locally known as johnnies, who could only see banana plantations as they looked downhill towards the capital city, Nairobi, whenever they drove their military trucks over the hills en route to Limuru. The green scenery has been replaced with mushroomed red mansion rooftops as the city of Nairobi spread north.[2]

Coffee farming has been an important revenue source for the Banana Hill area, but has been on the decline as many land owners opt to resort to real-estate and building rentals where global prices for coffee have been in decline. The area is also known for dairy farming; and for horticulture, such as small-scale flower growing, from which a number of families have made livelihoods.

Banana Hill is a multi-ethnic, multi-racial town with a reputation for welcoming refugees fleeing from local and international conflict areas, amongst them: Uganda, Mozambique, and South Africa when it was under apartheid rule. It is rumored that Yoweri Museveni, President of Uganda sojourned in Banana Hill during his years in exile. The same has been rumored of the late John Garang, head of the Sudan People's Liberation Army/Movement, which spearheaded the July 9, 2011, founding of the Republic of South Sudan. Also families of prominent Ugandans like the Late Katunku Nicholas,[17] late Kirya Balaki Kebba Leader of Uganda Freedom Movement fighting group, Adok Nekyon cousin brother of the late President Milton OboteAir force Major Lutaya, Nampenda Philip, Muvule, Wamusi Teddy all lived in Banana hill from 1981-1985 when they went back to Uganda.

Banana Hills is a major transit point for passengers traveling to Limuru, Kiambu, Wangige, Kikuyu town and other outlying areas. Matatu vehicles (simplified plural, matatus) are used as the primary means of commercial transportation. The matatu system relies on use of privately owned vehicles with assigned drives and touts, for which passengers are charged slightly higher fares than for bus travel. Matatus are, essentially, the strongest competition for bus transportation systems and taxi cabs outside of the capital city, and provide essential transportation for large numbers of commuters who work in the capital and large towns, but cannot afford ownership of vehicles. All vehicles used commercially for transportation of goods and passengers must be licensed.[18]

• Fredrick Kiniti Njonjo, a Karuri village headman before he was promoted and transferred to Makuyu, Murang'a District. He died on December 6, 2011.
• Geoffrey Gatama Geturo and Joseph Kamiru Gikubu, co-founders (with Geoffrey William Griffin) of Starehe Boys' Centre and School.
• Gideon Waweru Gathunguri, founder and owner of Banana Hill Studios, with branches in various towns in Kenya. Many Kenyans have posed for their photos in one of his studios. In the dark days of the KANU party's monopoly on Kenya politics, he challenged the then area MP (Member of Parliament), Mbiyu Koinange for the political seat, and ended up in detention.
• James Njenga Karume, a long-time area representative in the Parliament of Kenya and a renowned Kenyan businessman.
• John Kiniti, an airline pilot with Kenya Airways. He is credited with single-handedly saving the national carrier, Kenya Airways, at the time of the breakup of East African Airways.[19]
• James Kabui Githara (1943–2012) The creator of the Simple Crossword. He Africanized the crossword puzzle for Kenyan readers since 1982. In the 1980s and 1990s his crossword puzzles were featured in all Kenyan newspapers. He served on the board of governors of several high schools.
• Margaret Wangari, an evangelist, bishop, and faith healer who became pioneer of the Pentecostal movement in Banana Hill. She is founder of the Anointed Christian Fellowship, a ministry credited with the founding of many Pentecostal churches in the area and around the country.[20]
• Mbiyu Gakuura, Kiambaa Senator in Kenya's pre-independence era.[21]
• Mbiyu Koinange, son of the former famous colonial Senior Chief Koinange wa Mbiyu who was the Kiambaa Constituency representative in the Parliament of Kenya from 1963 to 1974. His fame is as a powerful government minister, and a very close confidante of Kenya's first president Jomo Kenyatta.
  • Beckham Njogu Kimani Son of Louis and Teresiah Kimani. He was born a genius , currently he is a pro gamer putting banana hill on the map.
• Mungai Kimari, a Commonwealth Games medalist.
• Naomi Wanjiku Kiniti, a well known educator, philanthropist and farmer.
• Obadiah Kariuki, a bishop of Anglican Church of Kenya, Mount Kenya Diocese, who was among the first Africans to be ordained as a bishop in the then largely white-controlled Anglican church in post-colonial Kenya.[22][23]
• Salome Gaciku Mwaura (nyina wa Muthee), a businesswoman in Banana Hill town. She and her son Muthee (Samuel Gathunguri) are founder members of both the ACK Emmanuel Church[24] situated on Karuri High School road, and the ACK Banana Hill Church. She died on February 19, 2016.
• Samuel Karuga Gathunguri and his spouse, Margaret Nyambura Karuga, respectably known as Nyina wa Alice, owners of the largest general provision store in the area for a long time. At the time, the store was Banana Hill's only distribution point for newspapers and magazines. The couple were the sole distributor of Coca-Cola and agents of Mbuni Dry Cleaners, the only dry cleaner of repute then.
• Stanley Munga Githunguri, a successful businessman and former area MP (Member of Parliament).
• Stanley Ngatho wa Muthumu, a former church elder and lay leader who taught catechism to many people from the area. He served the church for 50 years and continued to offer his services even after his retirement. He died in 2010.