Can anything hold Kakamega back?

Kakamega, Kenya: Home to the largest sugar factories in Kenya, a booming real estate sub-sector and favourable weather, Kakamega has the deck stacked in its favour, writes ALEX NAMULIRO

Better known for its bullfighting extravaganza and the crying stone of Ilesi, Kakamega town is experiencing rapid growth in the real estate sector.

Located 361 kilometres from Nairobi and 281 kilometres from Kampala, Uganda’s capital city, it is close to the only tropical rain forest in Kenya. It is this proximity to the forest that is credited for a weather that favours farming, a commercial activity for many residents.

In the past five years, the town has experienced an upsurge of investors and other business minded people. This is closely attributed the establishment of tertiary learning institutions that are coming up in the county.

Resurrection

After Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, with the cumbersome MMUST acronym, was granted a charter in 2008, it resurrected a town that was on its knees.

Other universities and colleges with campuses in the town currently include Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, Kenya Institute of management and the Kenya Institute of Professional Studies.

With the coming of the county government, and it being the capital of the larger Kakamega County, analysts say this will be a big boost to the already flourishing town.

 The county stretches from Ikolomani to Lugari and Mumias.

The real estate sector is one of the areas that have experienced an unprecedented change as new buildings come up. 

According to the Kakamega County Lands office, there has been an upsurge of land buyers leading to prices doubling over the past five years.

High demand

Officials say that land near the CBD and the Masinde Muliro University is in high demand. While previously people would sell bigger chunks of land, this has been subdivided further. Today, getting a quarter an acre of land to buy is a daunting task. 

Rent has also been rising steadily ranging from between Sh5,000  to Sh40,000, depending on the house and location. Affluent residential areas here include Milimani, Kambi Somali and National Housing Corporation flats.

Previously, many people working in Kakamega  would live as far away as Kisumu because getting a decent house in Kakamega was difficult.

Today, the situation is reversed and people working in neighbouring towns like Mbale, Majengo and Mumias now prefer living in Kakamega because of the changing housing  trends.

This growth is not limited to the residential segment with commercial developments and enterprises also coming up at an admirable pace.  Today, the town is home to big retail chains Nakumatt and Tuskys.

And the future looks bright. Kakamega County head physical planner Job Ngetich says the town is expected to grow even more and his department is keen on the plan of the town.

“You realise that new structures are coming up every day in the town, many of them flats and storeyed  business buildings. We are very keen so that the zoning rules are not flouted,” says Ngetich.

The town’s physical plan, adds Ngetich, is on the right track and the department is keen on seeing the town grow without experiencing planning problems.

Infrastructure

Construction of the dual carriage road between the town and Kisumu is also underway. This is  expected to open up the town and increase opportunities.

Kakamega town is among the few towns to have produced gold at the Roasterman goldmines, although in limited quantities. Located at high altitude, cash crop growing, especially maize and sugar cane, is dominant.

This is in addition to being home to the three largest sugar factories in Kenya, namely Mumias, West Kenya and Butali, all situated less than 40 kilometres from the town.

It, however, has its fair share of challenges just like any other fast growing urban centre. For instance, the issue of insecurity is of concern to many residents.

Street children have also been increasing in the town’s main streets, something that many residents don’t buy.

The town also suffers from lack of diversity in industries, which as one of the issues that could have contributed to further opening up of the town as observed in other cosmopolitan towns.