Nairobi, Then & Now

We are delighted to have been asked to jointly provide a foreword for this fascinating book. We all have a responsibility to learn about and reconcile with our history, and use that knowledge to help us understand both the present and the future. This book is a window into Nairobi's past and a reminder of its present. The transformation we see is uneven - some things and places have evolved unrecognisably, while others remain constant.Nairobi is a place of great change. Rapid development and outward expansion is ever reshaping the landscape. Kenya and the UK have been partners in Nairobi's evolutionary journey throughout. Not just government, but also in terms of trade and investment, technology, security, knowledge, and people. The Kenya-UK partnership will continue the journey down this road to the future, towards achieving the Kenyan Government's Vision 2030 and beyond.50 years in the future many places shown in this book could be long gone. While a few special old places might remain, our vision for the 2063 edition of this book is an ultra modern Nairobi, a major interchange of the globalised and interconnected world. And a place where we continue to learn from the lessons of the past, as we focus on the promise of the future.Best wishes to the people of Kenya on the 50th Anniversary of Independence.. Dr. Evans Kidero Dr. Christian TurnerGovernor of Nairobi British High CommissionerNairobi, December 2013