The Shopping Malls of Westlands – The favs, the profitable, the funky

While driving to a new development coming up on Rhapta road, I noticed the Rhapta Square has grown more vibrant. A few months ago when it opened its doors to its first patrons, the Promenade looked empty and airy; it has maintained the airiness but now is a busy spot. The Shopping mall landscape has really evolved from the Sarit Centre being the one proper mall, to dozens more around the City.

If we put a pin on Westlands, what malls and shopping centres do we have, and at any rate, are they profitable? That question got us rummaging some reports and maps, and here’s a look at some of the top malls and centres in the vicinity (with a bonus table on the estimated occupancy and rental yields).

• Sarit Centre: One of Nairobi’s oldest and largest “city within a city.” It features a massive Carrefour store, a cinema, a re-engineered Expo Centre, and a vast range of fashion, electronics, and food outlets. While not being “funky,” but it’s has remained as favourite shopping, as the cool “Grandfather” of the group.
  Sarit Centre has historically maintained occupancy rates above 85%, even during the “retail softening” seen across Nairobi in recent years. Its 2019/2020 Phase 3 expansion was quickly absorbed by major brands, keeping its vacancy rates significantly lower than the newer, standalone malls.
• Westgate Mall: Known for its upscale vibe and cosmopolitan crowd, it hosts high-end brands, a boutique cinema, a rooftop food court, and various pop-up markets. Still the place to “see and be seen”, it evokes a polished and cosmopolitan vibe; weekend brunching, boutique cinema dates, and high-energy kids’ birthdays at the rooftop play areas.
• The Broadwalk Mall: A newer, sleek addition on Ojijo Road. It’s very modern, focusing on premium dining, lifestyle brands, and a refined shopping environment. While modern and sleek, newer malls typically start with lower initial occupancy ~ 60%, The BroadWalk has seen rapid uptake due to its prime location. It is fast becoming the “after-work” champion with spots like Blue Martini offering panoramic skyline views.
• Rhapta Promenade: Located on Rhapta Road, this is a fresh “lifestyle destination” that opened recently (August 2025). It has a unique open-air design, focuses on local luxury fashion designers, and is anchored by a Carrefour and Aga Khan University Hospital outpatient center.
  There’s a growing trend for “community” shopping centres, and the Promenade seems to have hit a sweet spot. It is located in a primarily residential area, probably owing to its impressive 85% occupancy right out of the gate.
• Westlands Square: Right in the heart of the district near the matatu stage. It’s very busy and great for quick errands, featuring a Naivas, Java House, and numerous service-oriented shops. It offers great competition to The Mall, with its fresh and modern amenities pull in more foot traffic, with each passing day.
• The Mall (Westlands): Best known for its 24-hour Naivas Foodmarket, making it the go-to spot for late-night or early-morning supplies. The Mall is one of the oldest shopping centres in the Capital. It has maintained high occupancy levels over the years, despite the retailing-cooling disruptive phase.
• Riverside Square: is one of the new community centres, located along the Riverside Drive. The Riverside Drive is one of the upcoming business districts in Westlands, the addition of Foodplus in the Riverside Square was a well calculated investment.
• GTC Boutique: is a small mall developed together within the GTC Towers. It seeks to consolidate the foot traffic from those working and visiting the towers, but it seems to have also captured some business-meeting kind of hang-outs.

I have not captured all the malls and centres, as it is one fast-growing sector, more so in the Westlands area as more commercial and residential highrises come up. As promised, here’s a bonus table – an estimate, based on the compilation of various reports, of the occupancy levels and rental yields for Shopping Malls and community centre in the vicinity.