New properties change Eastlands’ skyline

By WINSLEY MASESE

NAIROBI: Eastlands has long been the hood for “hustlers”. It is has been the place those struggling in life find accommodation before working their way up to a more comely place.

As such, properties that side of Nairobi have been anything but admirable. Crowded, poorly finished, lacking even the most basic utilities and surrounded by seedy bars and noisy restaurants that provide cover for marauding gangs and louts on the prowl.

Poorly lit and narrow walkways between buildings create markets where drugs and all manner of contraband are traded.

Ceding ground

Until recently, Eastlands has been the face of Nairobi’s third world and a bank brimming with nothing more than ambition.

Property developers did little to provide for anything other than basic accommodation — successfully keeping away Nairobi’s upper middle class.

But that is fast changing as the estates of old cede ground to new properties designed to change the face of Eastlands.

The recent boom in the construction industry, inspired by a growing demand for housing, has seen developers invest in projects that are capturing the attention of the upper middle class and society’s super rich.

Nestled between Imara Daima and Oak Park in Embakasi is Imara Gardens — a 240-apartment building that tells of Eastlands’ newfound attitude and sense of style.

Of course there are many other new properties in the area that signal the arrival of new czars in town, but it is the amenities Imara Garden has thrown in that speak volumes about the future of Embakasi.

Like several other estates along Mombasa Road, Imara Gardens is also set to leverage its ranking with the upcoming railway station at Imara.

But those are not the only distinctive features of the estate.

The apartments are a blend of upmarket units literally transplanted in a location famed for lower-than-average house designs and finishes. The three-bedroom apartment also comes with a servant’s quarter and laundry area.

Numerous business parks are also coming up in the area, which the Imara Gardens director and property developer, Mr Abdullahi Dahir, sees as creating opportunities for their business.

“I had the opportunity to build quality apartments and not make profit our driving force, but also to think broader and provide valuable housing to the country,” he says.

Exclusive

But perhaps what defines the apartments as exclusive for this location is the provision of Internet.

The houses are designed to accommodate pre-wired infrastructure carrying DSTV, Zuku and Internet.

“All that our buyers need to do is plug and play. It was our decision from the onset to provide Internet alongside other utilities like water and electricity so that our clients can keep in touch with the world from the comfort of their homes,” Mr Dahir says, adding that this is where modern architecture is heading. 

The apartment’s kitchen comes with a cooker hood with extractor fans that suck out smoke from the kitchen, keeping it fresh.

At Sh8.3 million, the three-bedroom apartments have attracted massive interest, with 65 per cent already fully paid for — some snapped up by Kenya’s who’s who. Two bed-roomed units are going for Sh6.9 million.

It is, however, the rent for a three-bedroomed house that tells of the arrival “Mr Moneybags” in Eastlands. Few of Eastlands’ usual guests can afford to pay Sh50,000 per month — an attestation of the changing fortunes in the area.

During the 2013 Homes Expo held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), the company scooped the award for creativity and innovation.

“We have been in the market for a short time and winning that award and others is a demonstration that we are on the right path,” Dahir says.

The Management University of Africa graduate says he is driven to develop quality homes that even he would be proud to live in.

wmasese@standardmedia.co.ke