My First Time in Kisumu: I Stayed in a Bedsitter House in Mamboleo for KSh 7,500: Photos

When I moved from Nairobi to Kisumu with all my household belongings, I needed a place to settle immediately. I was with my wife and child. We had travelled all night and were really exhausted, so I left the bus stage at Ena Coach to meet the real estate agent who had promised to show me the house I had seen on his TikTok account.

I took a motorbike, and when I met the person, I realised he was a conman because he started taking me round and round without showing me the house. I finally gave up on him and decided to look for a house by myself.

Remember, it was a must to get a house that same day and settle because all my belongings were at the bus station, together with my family.

I went to Lolwe, Migosi and Milimani but could not find a house. The available houses were too expensive, and I had only around KSh 15,000. Most landlords require you to pay both rent and a deposit before moving in.

Luckily, I met a guy who took me all the way to Mamboleo on his motorbike. He assured me that he knew of a good vacant bedsitter going for around KSh 7,000. I decided to take the deal.

It was a good room with a spacious compound, and water was available. The houses were only on the ground floor. I then took a matatu because there was a driver who was also one of the tenants, and he helped me transport all my belongings to the house.

The roads around Mamboleo were good, and travelling by matatu to town cost only KSh 50.

There was also a small market near the junction branching to Mamboleo, with several shops selling food, vegetables and fruits. There were also cyber cafés and gas refill distributors.

Challenges During My Stay in Mamboleo

Mamboleo is generally a hot area. I was sweating profusely while inside the house and had to take a bath several times a day.

I would advise anyone moving to the area to avoid the standalone ground-floor houses and instead look for apartments with several floors. If you find a house in a building with only ground-floor units, make sure it has ceiling boards to help contain the heat.

Another challenge I noticed was security. Unlike Nairobi, where you can sometimes walk around at night without much worry, in Mamboleo, I was advised to be more careful about security.

By 9 p.m., you should ideally be in your house. I was advised about this by a friend I met in the area who had also attended the same high school as me.