Welcome back to your guided tour of Maasailand. Today we will visit the bustling metropolis that is Najile Center. Basically comprised of three rows of iron-sheet buildings sub-divided into single room, Najile has all the charm of small-town Kenya. If you go to -1.214443, 36.460424 you'll be right in the midst of Najile. Most of the buildings are single-roomed "apartments" that can be rented for Ksh 500 (~$4) a month. The rest are small "hotels" (restaurants), dukas (stores) and one or two bars. The other main attractions in Najile proper are the broken down bus and water truck, and a petrol station that is now out of business (on the east end of town)
Across the street is the real reason for Najile's importance, the water tanks. The three tanks and trough are fed by a pipeline that originates near Maai Mahiu (-.982489, 36.586163). Najile is basically the last stop for the waterline so people from dozens of kms away travel to Najile to water their animals during the drought. Do you see the animals walking in the google earth image?
One final attraction around Najile is the house of Solomon Matura, our close friend. Solomon's house was basically the model for our own house (though his is a bit larger) and his farm is a wonderful demonstration of what can be done with a little water. Move northeast along the road until you see a bright-blue roof on the north side of the road. At -1.212485, 36.466419 you'll see Solomon's house and farm.
Well, hope you enjoyed your virtual tour of Najile. Our next stop: the Najile Educational Area.
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