Mukuyu, a town in Murang’a County, is struggling with a fragile informal economy and rising insecurity despite its strategic location along the busy Nairobi–Murang’a highway.

• The town's economy is largely sustained by readily available alcohol, tobacco, and muguka, with a meal costing as little as Sh20.
• Residents face poverty, with some collecting leftover bananas from the Wednesday market for sustenance.
• Concerns are growing about potential money laundering and organized cartels acquiring property, displacing small traders and low-income residents.