Why Westlands Is Irresistible: The GTC Effect

Ask a decade-old Nairobi business directory where the city's commercial heart is, and it'll point you to the CBD. Ask today, and increasingly the answer is Westlands.

A big part of that shift traces back to one building: the Global Trade Centre. Completed in 2022 at a cost of roughly Sh40 billion, GTC's six towers were built around what's called the HOPSCA concept — hotel, office, parking, shopping, convention and apartments, all in one integrated complex. It was the first development of its kind in East Africa.

The results are visible. GTC's office tower — Kenya's tallest — anchors major international tenants, and its hotel tower hosts the JW Marriott, joining the Kempinski and Radisson already established nearby. Add in the malls, supermarkets and restaurants clustered around Waiyaki Way and Chiromo Lane, and Westlands now functions less like a suburb and more like a self-contained business district.

What does this mean if you're a tenant, investor or business owner? Prestige addresses are moving. If your business, or your portfolio, is still anchored purely to the old CBD, it's worth asking whether Westlands' mixed-use, amenity-rich model is a better long-term fit — both for talent attraction and for property value growth.

We work with clients across both markets and can help you weigh where your next office, retail unit or investment property should sit.