Real estate suffers major setback in Kiambu

Governor suspends change of user approvals in an attempt to safeguard coffee farming in this agriculturally-rich county, writes ERIC WAINAINA.

After years of concern that private developers are turning thousands of acres of coffee and tea plantations in Kiambu into concrete jungles, the County Government seems to have started paying attention.

Governor William Kabogo recently issued a circular to county land offices, asking them to suspend all change of user applications, a major victory for coffee players who have always maintained that the sector has been seriously affected by the turning of tea and coffee estates into real estate, with most small-scale farmers abandoning farming.

Boom

According to Kabogo, the temporary stoppage of change of user is aimed at safeguarding tea and coffee, which are quickly being taken over by the booming housing sector in the county.

The circular, according to Eunice Kaloki, the county executive secretary in charge of Urban Land and Planning, will stay, pending zoning and marking of agricultural and commercial land.

This means landowners will no longer be at liberty to change their tea and coffee estates into real estate as has been happening.

Kaloki said they are formulating an integration plan which will involve collecting data to establish areas which will be permanently left for farming and those where owners can be allowed to change user.

“We will collect data from members of the public and then use it to come up with a guide. We will also set rules and regulations that will govern the exercise for the benefit of all,” she said.

Debate

After that, she said, they will draft a Bill for public discussion before it is forwarded to the County Assembly for debate.

She is optimistic that the move will get minimal resistance from the public because they will be fully involved in drafting the rules and regulations to be followed.

The governor, however, said they are not out to fight investors in the housing sector: “We want to have the houses but we cannot stop farming and venture into real estate. We must ensure we produce coffee, but we will also have areas where one can construct commercial houses,” he said.

Kiambu County has received a major facelift as investors turn any available land into real estate developments. Projects which have seen coffee uprooted include Tatu City, a multi-million dollar satellite town, which will be home to an estimated 70,000 residents who will have the opportunity to live, work and play within their community and is also expected to attract around 30,000 day visitors and is on a 1,000 hectares. It is located on Kiambu-Ruiru Road.

On the Kiambu-Kwamaiko Road neighbouring the collapsed Mbo-I Kamiti Farmers Company stands Migaa, a multi-million project on 774 acres, which was previously a coffee plantation. The projects have already taken shape, with the first inhabitants expected to move in this November.

RENTAL FLATS

On Kiambu Road near the Kiambu Institute of Science and Technology lies EdenVille, which has taken over about 150 acres, previously a coffee and maize plantation.

Smallholder farmers are also constructing rental flats, which are said to have better returns compared to farming.

James Mwangi, a famer, says he does not regret putting up a rental house on part of his coffee farm.

“There was that time when coffee used to fetch us a lot of money. Not anymore. The prices are very low and payments always delayed. That has left us with with no option but to try other ventures,” said Mwangi.

People like Mwangi have been flocking to lands offices to seek change of user. The county, however, still lacks policies to govern change of user approvals.

APPLICATIONS

Recently, John Kamau, the Kiambu District Land Administration Officer, told Home and Away that they have been receiving five change of user applications per week, on average. Last year, he said Sasini Ltd had sought to change the user of a stretch of its coffee farm into a commercial land, but they declined to grant approval.

“We have been getting very many applications and we sometimes have to approve them because we do not have a policy controlling change of usage,” he said.

Kamau said often when they decline to grant approval, applicants demand to be shown the law. Liberalisation of the coffee sector has also contributed greatly to this situation since farmers no longer have to seek government approval to uproot their coffee trees.

Stakeholders in coffee sector have raised alarm over its declining fortunes, thanks to the booming housing sector. Dr Caesar Mwangi, the Managing Director at Sasini Limited, a tea and coffee company, in a past annual general meeting said their coffee supply had declined, blaming the low production on the turning of tea and coffee estates into real estate developments, especially in Kiambu where most small-scale farmers have abandoned farming.