Thika super highway wakes a sleepy Kabati

By BONIFACE GIKANDI

Demand for land outside Nairobi has accelerated with many investors paying more for search of potential areas where they can construct residential and business empires.

Search for land has moved to Murang’a County as the investors wish to mint money with the completion of the Thika super highway identifying lands.

Investors have spent millions of shillings on land purchase with many of the potential clients giving specification that they would wish to be outside the congested and polluted city.

Along Thika-Kenol-Sagana Road, chunks of land have exchanged hands with investors aiming at constructing houses worth billions of shillings along the busy highway that cuts across Murang’a region.

Once the super highway is completed next year, the constructors will embark on the second phase of a dual carriage from Kenol-Murang’a-Sagana, which has been seen as a catapult to many of the housing projects.

To set the ball rolling, 33 acres of land at Kabati in Murang’a South District have been identified as the prime area for construction of modern residential and business centre to cater for the increased needs of investors wishing to reside outside Nairobi.

Kenjap Company has bought a former coffee growing estate ready with a variety of designs for various categories of investors who have shown interests in residential houses.

The company has projected to invest Sh2 billion in construction of residential and business centre to cater the community living in the area and the surrounding.

Esther Muthoga, a director at Kenjap Limited said development in the area will be controlled with only approved plans being used in the construction.

"This will be a gated community as all the structures to be built within the 33 acres of land will be controlled as per the plans," said Muthoga.

She said they settled in the region after many of the clients said they wished to be out of the city as transportation to Nairobi will be made easy with completion of the super highway.

To enhance security within the area, a security post will be built with board of directors donating a parcel of land to the Government for the constructing as well as erecting a perimeter fence.

To ensure interest on up bringing of children, Muthoga says the board has set aside some land for nursery and primary schools.

modern houses

"We plans to have an up-market village where residents will have a commercial centre, hospital, a learning institution and one gate to control those visiting for security purpose," said Muthoga.

A borehole will be sunk to serve the residents and the neighbouring community with water.

Development of the section will be a milestone in Murang’a County and many of the residents are flocking in search of property.

With the modern houses coming up, locals will benefit with engagement in employment and supplying farm products to residents.

"This a positive venture as those neighbouring will have direct benefit by having ready market for their milk and other farm produce," said councillor Solomon Karuri of Kagundu Ward.

Many of the dairy farmers, he said, have started stocking the best breed as they aim at selling milk to the residents instead of taking their produce to other markets.

Murang’a East DC George Natembeya says that with improved security in the county, many of the investors are trickling in the region in search of property.

"In the past one year, a lot of development projects have taken place in various parts of the county, leading to sky rocketing property prices," said Natembeya.

Natembeya says to save investors from losing money to fraudsters, especially those wishing to invest in Murang’a town, the cost of searching for land has been waived as well as getting professional advice on construction.

High property prices

George Kirubi, a resident of Murang’a who has been residing in Nairobi is among thousands who have shown interest of returning home with assurance of travelling to their offices daily without interference of traffic jams.

"The road has come up at an opportune time as many of us are opting to buy land outside the city while assured of arriving in the offices without delays caused by heavy traffic on Thika Road as we are used to," said Kirubi.

Cost of rental has also shot up, with a single room in Kenol and Murang’a going for between Sh3,000 and Sh4,000 from Sh2,000 three years ago.