'Mountain Cities' plan excites Kirinyaga real estate industry

Kirinyaga County Deputy Governor Peter Ndambiri (center),briefing the Media on the state of the open prime land in Kerugoya town meant for putting up a modern housing project (PHOTO:Munene Kamau/standard)

Kirinyaga County is planning a revolution in its property sector by turning its four sub-counties into mini cities.

In the plan dubbed, Kirinyaga Mountain Cities Blueprint, the county seeks to create Special Economic Zones in Gichugu, Ndia, Kirinyaga Central and Mwea sub-counties, which has seen investors in the property sector burning the midnight oil strategising on how to rake in the benefits.

Kirinyaga League of Real Estate Players Association says it is currently studying the blueprint with a view to getting a share of the benefits.

“There is a promise of many buildings coming up, land being sought to host the projects and opportunities in housing sector sprouting up. We are watching out for where and what type of development the county government will approve in the four sub-counties,” said the association’s chairman, Mureithi Kang’ara.

Mount Kenya Region Real Estate Agency Chairperson Lilian Maina said any property dealer in the region with an eye for business opportunity has the blueprint that will guide the county development plan for the next 13 years.

When launching the blueprint, Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru said her government is the first to come up with the agenda that has a road-map of implementation running to 2032.

The four sub-counties have been clustered depending on their economic strengths and projects lined up to transform the county into a property hub.

Resort centre

For instance, Gichugu has been earmarked to host a resort centre to make it a tourist attraction site.

Ms Maina said there are roads earmarked for tarmacking that will increase the area’s land prices.

“It is now all systems go as property brokers search for maps detailing the types of land use in the earmarked areas and seeing whether there is any for sale,” she said.

“It is my estimation that the blueprint has created an excitement feel on area property where value has gone up by an average of 35 per cent across the county.” 

The influx of property brokers into the county trying to position themselves for the expected windfall has come with challenges.

Already, deputy governor Peter Ndambiri has warned local and international investors that there is no trust land for sale in the area. He says that unless they buy from people with proof of ownership, any other deal will be a fraud.

“There are groups of fraudsters who are collecting money from unsuspecting people in the promise that they are being recruited into land buying through shares,” Mr Ndambiri said.

“There is no land in the county open for sale unless those collecting money from you are selling their personal inheritance.”

One of the key projects in the blueprint is a proposed Sh12 billion Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) centre at Wang’uru, Mwea.

The centre will host seven key facilities including a research centre, teaching and referral hospital and a graduate school for health disciplines.

It is projected to be fully functional by 2024, but there is a tussle between Kemri and the county administration on how area residents will be allocated benefits.

Ms Waiguru has insisted that she will only surrender the 100 acres for the project if Kemri commits itself to give preference to the county residents in construction tenders, labour, rates and other long term benefits.