Nairobi, May 25 -- In parts of Kileleshwa, the jacaranda blossoms still fall onto clay-tiled roofs, bringing back memories of old Nairobi. Low-rise apartment blocks sit behind mature jacarandas, their design reminiscent of a time when Kileleshwa was calm and mostly residential.

But turn a corner, and that image disappears. You step into a whole new world of high-rise apartments with flat roofs, stacked floor after floor, with rooftop swimming pools and gyms, and short-stay listings advertised from nearly every entrance.

When John Maina moved into Kileleshwa in December 2001, the neighbourhood was quiet, spacious and deeply residential. He had just retired from banking and settled in Kileleshwa after his wife, who was then a civil servan...