Jacaranda Grounds: A day at one of Kenya’s 'most controversial' ground

It’s 3pm. Sunday. A woman can be seen moving around the dusty Jacaranda ground hawking porridge.

A few customers stop her for a cool drink on a fairly hot Nairobi afternoon. Most of her customers know her by name.

She stops to serve porridge to a small family. They are probably out for their usual Sunday picnic. 

Elsewhere, a sugarcane seller is busy with his knife – peeling and chopping a juicy cane for a waiting customer.

According to the residents who live near Jacaranda grounds – it never goes to sleep one bit.

“Many people come to the ground to pastime, and listen to interesting political discussions,” says Moses Opiyo who lives in Soweto.

Others are here to make money.

A football match is taking place on one side of the ground bordering the posh Sosiani estate.

The playing field is rough and unforgiving; with rock pebbles and red soil forming the playing surface.

It’s a tough surface for a tough group of players drawn from different estates across Nairobi.

“Teams come from as far as Kariobangi, Dandora and Baba-ndogo to play football,” says Opiyo.

A young teenage girl can be seen walking around the ground, selling ice cream to some of the spectators.

Many hawkers love the ground.  

“This ground brings the people of this area together. I have personally made a lot of friends on these grounds,” says Opiyo.

“Other people come here to network, make friends and look for job opportunities,” he says.

The ground is also used as a ‘driving school’ of sort for those looking to perfect their driving skills. Others just want to 'taste' what it feels like to drive a car.

“Many people from the estates come here to drive cars around a section of the field, and only pay Sh150 for two or three short trips,” says Opiyo.

Residents say that the famous ground which is sandwiched between the posh Jacaranda and Sosiani estates on one side, and the low-end Soweto and Patanisho slums, is their greatest equaliser and unifying factor.

As the clock continues to wind down – a special group of people can be seen milling around a tree stamp that stands out like a sore thumb.

A few weeks ago this was a tree – and which provided a meeting point for the men and women who often come here to pastime and politic.

“The congregation has a Mr. Speaker – who maintains order in 'The House',” says Opiyo who comes here a lot to listen to divergent political views.

Residents say that people with different political views meet here and discuss politics as friends.

“I would say that these people come here to bond and make friends, debate on important political issues with friends, neighbours,” says Opiyo.

As nightfall nears – people can be seen leaving the ground – slowly.