A trend of establishing shopping malls in or near universities and colleges is catching up in Kiambu county.
The high population and extravagant consumption by students in these institutions is undoubtedly the reason for the strategic positioning of these malls.
Two weeks ago, Kenyatta University opened the first shopping mall to be owned by a university in Kenya. The mall dubbed UniCity is located in KU main campus along Thika Superhighway.
The mall features a hyper-market, bookshops, retail shops, banks, recreational facilities and a petrol station.
"This mall has brought us services that we used to get far away from campus and thus it saves us time and money. Now we have extra time to study," said Benson Mwangi, a KU student.
Juja City Mall, which is opening its doors later this year, borders JKUAT Nairobi Industrial and Technology Park. Nairobi Institute of Business Studies (NIBS) students will share the experience of a mall when Spur Mall is completed. The mall is metres away from NIBS college.
Ananas Mall in Thika has close proximity to many colleges such as Christian Training College and Gretsa University.
Photo: Juja City Mall near JKUAT in Juja town. The many shopping malls being established near universities or colleges in Kiambu.