Better security lures property developers to area once shunned
Along the Kiambu-Ruiru Road, less than three kilometres from
Kamiti Corner, stands an old and vandalised bungalow that is surrounded
by unkempt bush.
The owner of the house was forced out over a decade ago by robbers, who used to make unwanted visits almost every day.
Over the years, criminals have looted anything valuable in it, leaving the property an eyesore.
The house has been a reminder of how the area has been insecure and also a monument to fear, scaring away investors.
The
area, which stretches from Kamiti Corner to BTL Conference Centre, had
been turned into a criminals’ paradise, who used to dump their
carjacking and murder victims there. Driving on the road, sometimes even
during the day, was unsettling.
Ruturo Trading Centre,
which is located in the area, had stagnated for a long time, and has
been characterised by old and dilapidated buildings even as commercial
projects, including leisure facilities, continue to mushroom in
neighbouring Kamiti Corner and bypass areas.
But in the recent past the area, which has for a long time been
characterised by bushes and long grass, has been getting a major
facelift as investors rush to put up real estate projects. This follows
growing demand for housing, thanks to restored security.
The
development has opened doors to other businesses and investors are now
putting up modern commercial flats at Ruturo while others have been
establishing hardware shops in the area as they seek to make a killing
from the growing demand for building materials created by the upcoming
real estate projects.
Lifestyle Heights
One of the upcoming projects is a 30-acre high-end gated community apartments called Lifestyle Heights by Home Bridge.
Mr
Peter Karoki, one of the firm’s directors, said the project, which is
being done in phases, will have one, two and three-bedroom units, with
the first phase comprising 20 blocks of four to eight-floors and a mini
commercial complex.
Some 11 of them, which comprise 420
units and which come with fitted kitchen, panoramic lifts, dedicated
parking lot and the commercial complex, are almost complete with 30 per
cent of them already sold out.
The project, which
according to Mr Karoki will be complete in two years, has varying two
and three-bedroom units — standard, deluxe or DSQ. The latter two are
bigger and more elaborate.
The Lifestyle Estate also
has a clubhouse, gym and swimming pool, children play area, basketball
and tennis courts, sufficient underground and overhead water storage
tanks with a capacity of two million litres, standby generator, access
control and 24-hour manned security with CCTV.
River Run estate
Another
upcoming housing project is a 100-acre gated community called River Run
estate, which is being constructed by Cytonn Real Estate about four
kilometres off Kiambu-Ruiru Road, and which is being done in three
phases.
Ground breaking for the first phase of the
project, which is valued at Sh15.3 billion, took place in April last
year. According to the master plan, the project will comprise 600
stand-alone three and four-bedroom units with a two-space parking for
each unit, which will be a mixture of villas, town house and
semi-detached town houses.
Real estate firm Optiven
Group has also announced plans to construct 400 luxury housing units
named Amani Ridge on a 100 acre parcel of land in the area at a cost of
Sh8 billion. It will incorporate a mini-mall, a police post and a
tenants’ only clubhouse.
Group CEO George Wachiuri said
the project is expected to have a running track and a sports ground
adjacent to a community centre.
Mr John Mwaniki, the
director of Jekmas Services, a real estate firm with interests in Kiambu
and Nairobi, asked the government to improve the infrastructure in the
area to unlock its potential.
“With good roads and other amenities, real estate players will definitely camp in an area they had previously shunned,” he said.
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