{"id":118670,"date":"2025-07-24T03:03:27","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T03:03:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/07\/24\/kondele-sheds-gangland-image-emerges-as-kisumus-new-24-hour-business-hub\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T03:03:27","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T03:03:27","slug":"kondele-sheds-gangland-image-emerges-as-kisumus-new-24-hour-business-hub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/kondele-sheds-gangland-image-emerges-as-kisumus-new-24-hour-business-hub\/","title":{"rendered":"Kondele sheds \u2018gangland\u2019 image, emerges as Kisumu\u2019s new 24-hour business hub"},"content":{"rendered":"

KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 24 \u2014 Once branded a \u201cgangland\u201d and a hotbed of violent political protests, Kondele is now rewriting its story \u2014 transforming into one of Kisumu\u2019s most vibrant business hubs.<\/strong><\/p>\n

For decades, the lakeside neighborhood was synonymous with political thuggery, bloodshed, and the destruction of property. <\/p>\n

Kondele\u2019s name often dominated headlines whenever protests, locally known as maandamano<\/em>, erupted in Kisumu.<\/p>\n

But that image is quickly fading.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt happened once that maandamano didn\u2019t even start here, and everybody said, \u2018No more maandamano in Kondele,\u2019\u201d recalls James Ochieng Maaina, a tout who has worked in the area for over 20 years. \u201cThat\u2019s when we knew things had changed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Battlefield to business Hub<\/h3>\n

Kondele\u2019s reputation for unrest dates back to 1969, when deadly clashes erupted during the opening of the Russian-funded hospital that now houses the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. <\/p>\n

Then-President Jomo Kenyatta had just fired his deputy, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, and tensions boiled over, leaving several dead.<\/p>\n

Since then, every administration \u2014 from Daniel arap Moi to Mwai Kibaki and Uhuru Kenyatta \u2014 has faced unrest starting from Kondele. <\/p>\n

President William Ruto too was not spared while campaigning for the 2022 elections as Deputy President. His vehicle stoned in the area in a dramatic turn of events.<\/p>\n

But today, Kondele is experiencing a different kind of energy. Following the political d\u00e9tente between President Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga, the area has been calm \u2014 even during the recent Gen Z-led protests sparked by anti-Finance Bill agitation in June 2024.<\/p>\n

<\/a>Kondele residents follow proceedings during the African Union Commission Chairperson election in which Kenya fielded Odinga as a candidate\/FILE<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last protests didn\u2019t take place here because the starting point has embraced peace,\u201d James Ochieng Maaina, a tout, says.<\/p>\n

A 24-hour economy<\/h3>\n

That peace has paved the way for an economic revival.<\/p>\n

Kondele, strategically positioned at the junction linking Kisumu to Kakamega, Busia, Kibos, and Nairobi, has morphed into a 24-hour retail and entertainment hub.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we do business all through, no closing. Customers are in plenty,\u201d says Lyne Ouma, who works at a local eatery.<\/p>\n

The area now boasts at least seven supermarkets, new hotels, timber yards, pharmacies, clothing stores, and eateries. <\/p>\n

Nightlife is thriving, with bars, entertainment spots, and food joints catering to Kisumu\u2019s growing 24-hour economy.<\/p>\n

Antony Kwache, Chairperson of Winam Maendeleo Traders, blames politics for Kondele\u2019s negative image in the past but insists the tide is turning.<\/p>\n

\u201cKondele is becoming one of the serious hubs in the periphery of Kisumu. With the CBD slowing down after the relocation of traders, Kondele is emerging as the alternative,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

The opening of high-end establishments like the Carla Premier Hotel underscores investor confidence in the area.<\/p>\n

\u201cKondele was once ignored due to political hooliganism, but now it\u2019s attracting serious investments,\u201d says Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe must continue improving infrastructure, ensuring safety, and encouraging partnerships to make it even better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Abala has been vocal about combating crime, saying insecurity drives away investors. <\/p>\n

He has called for stronger collaboration between residents, security agencies, and vigilantes to secure the growing hub.<\/p>\n

As Kisumu\u2019s Central Business District slows down, Kondele\u2019s transformation offers a glimpse of how political calm and strategic location can turn even the most stigmatized neighborhoods into thriving economic powerhouses.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

KISUMU, Kenya, Jul 24 \u2014 Once branded a \u201cgangland\u201d and a hotbed of violent political protests, Kondele is now rewriting its story \u2014 transforming into one of Kisumu\u2019s most vibrant business hubs. For decades, the lakeside neighborhood was synonymous with political thuggery, bloodshed, and the destruction of property. Kondele\u2019s name often dominated headlines whenever protests, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-118670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118670","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=118670"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/118670\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=118670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=118670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=118670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}