Kiambu new attraction for investors as prime land in city dwindles

Kiambu County continues to experience major developments as investors in the real estate industry rush to put up multi-billion gated communities.

This has seen the area, once a coffee farming zone, slowly turning in to a concrete jungle.

The trend has seen the county government effect zoning to protect farming from real estate, which has better returns.

“There is little land in prime urban areas and where it is available, it is very expensive, forcing  investors to rush to the rural areas to start projects there, making development in such areas inevitable,” says John Mwaniki, the CEO of Jekmass Services, a real estate company.

Development analysts say the construction of the Thika Superhighway and bypasses which criss-cross the county has made Kiambu the destination of choice for multi-million-shilling gated developments.

Among the more recent projects are Runda Paradise, Edenville, Five Star Estate, Kencom, Summer Fields, Buffallo Hills and Golf Village, and Juja Edge.

Runda Paradise is a gated community project comprising 150 maisonettes and is located next to the high-end Runda estate.

The estate, which is being developed by Maha Property Ltd under the management of Rock Assets, an investment and financial advisory firm, comprises four-bedroom bungalows, which are currently on sale.

Rock Assets CEO Norbert Mungai says the project has two more phases, the first of which will resemble phase one while the second will include a high-end shopping mall.

The project was named Runda Paradise due to its proximity to the posh Runda estate and the family facility Paradise Lost at Kasarini along Kiambu Road.

The houses will have high-class finishes, and will by linked by cabro paths. The estate will have manicured lawns, a playground and a recreational centre located on a natural swamp located within.

Evenville, is another premier gated community that merges affordability with lifestyle. It will comprise individual villas, maisonettes and budget apartments. Its two phases, which cover 149 acres, are complete have been sold.

Phase one comprises 345 villas on 70 acres, divided into courts of between 10 and 29 houses each, creating small but interactive niches within the greater setting.

The second phase comprises two-, three- and four-bedroom maisonettes on individual plots. The investor, Hassconsult Development, is preparing to roll out the third phase, which will have posh apartments.

Then there is Five Star Estate, a gated community comprising 116 units of exclusive three- and four-bedroom Mediterranean-themed villas, each standing on one-eighth of an acre, with a garden and parking for two cars. The houses are up for sale. Upon completion the project will have a mini market, gym, sauna and swimming pool near the main entrance.

Also coming up in the neighbourhood is Summerfield Estate, which is located near the Village Inn resort. It comprises three- and four-bedroom homes with en suite master bedrooms.

One bedroom is on the ground floor while the rest and a TV room are on the upper floor. Residents enjoy individual gardens, borehole water, cabro paths, street lighting, and a clubhouse with a bar and swimming pool.

All the three-bedroom houses have been sold and the investors are currently working on the four bedroom houses.

Along the Northern bypass, Kencom Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (Kencom) has built three- and four-bedroom houses.

The project consists of 113 four-bedroom units, a recreational centre, nursery school, commercial centre, man-made lake, swimming pool and cabro paved parking.

Meanwhile, Kilimambogo in Thika County boasts Buffalo Hills and Golf Village, a Sh1.8 billion, a ongoing housing project by Kamuthi Housing Co-operative.

Kamuthi Chairman Mr Bernard Maina said the project will comprise 750 homes, each standing on a quarter or half-acre pieces of land and will have a nine-hole golf course covering 108 acres.

It will also have a club house situated next to a man-made dam covering 9.5 acres within the golf village with a swimming pool, game rooms, sauna, gym and spa, among others.

Juja Edge in Juja is another gated community comprising 50 houses, each sitting on an eighth of an acre. Each unit is a four-bedroom contemporary styled home with modern finishes and open-plan spaces.