Nakuru estate rises from poll-chaos ashes

From a distance on the busy Nakuru-Eldoret highway near the Eveready roundabout, one can see a cluster of dilapidated buildings that reek of neglect.

The place is known as Githima, one of the areas most affected by the 2007-2008 post-election violence within Nakuru County.

Some of the buildings that have been constructed in Githima area of Nakuru. The area is resurfacing after it was strongly hit by the 2007 Post election skirmishes. (PHOTO BONIFACE THUKU/STANDARD)

As one changes direction to the south, the landscape changes drastically. The area has since healed and is now attracting real estate developments, with rental houses sprouting everywhere.

The growth of this area, which borders the famous Kaptebwo slum, is partly being spurred by the ongoing Kenya Informal Sector Programme (KISP), jointly undertaken by the Housing ministry and the World Bank.

It involves construction of modern sewer lines, tarmacking of the Githima/Kaptebwo/Barut road and installation of streetlights.

John Odhiambo, who saw the post-election violence destroy the estate, says residents seemed unwilling to re-invest in the area following the destruction of property during the chaos.

Mr Odhiambo admits the progress being made in the estate is commendable, with investors now moving into the area after peace was restored among communities that could not see eye-to-eye.

“This estate is riseing from ashes...investors are rushing in to invest here since people are living in peace,” he says.

Sought after

James Mwalimu, an investor who is currently putting up rental houses, says in the near future the area will be among the most sought-after residential locations in Nakuru.

“In the next two to four years, Githima will be among the most sought after residential addresses since it has healed from the ills that it has been associated with since 2008,” he says.

Sandwiched between Menengai Crater to the north and Lake Nakuru National Park to the south, the estate is also surrounded by big industries like Menengai Oil and Spinknit, which are contributing to its growth as workers rent houses within Githima.

The Kisp project seems to have opened up the estate by tarmacking most of the roads and lighting them up.

Jane Waithera, who lives in a newly-constructed rental house, says she used to believe that Githima was not a good place to live, but after she was employed by one of the industries, she moved from Suburb Estate to Githima from where she can walk to work.

Nakuru County executive in charge of Land, Housing and Physical Planning Rachael Maina, says the growth of Githima has been boosted by the new tarmacked road that connects Mbaruk/Kaptebwo to Nakuru town.

She says despite the area having been marginalised since independence, vital services like water, roads and electricity have opened up the region.

She notes that land and house prices in the area have shot up, a good indication that it is growing.

She notes that the value of plots and houses is rising, an indication that the area is growing and in the near future, will be among the most sought after estates in town.

“In the near future, property prices in the area will shoot up drastically and investors will enjoy the fruit of investing there,” she says.