By Boniface Thuku
About 20 years ago, Kiti Estate also known as Teachers within Nakuru suburbs was made up of green lush vegetation full of shrubs and even some agricultural activities were carried within.
But the estate has lately opened up for development with construction of residential and rental houses coming up fast.
The estate is named after a Government institute known as Kenya Industrial Training Institute (Kiti) and its lower part known as Teachers; named so after a group of teachers who combined their efforts in early 1990s and purchased the land and later subdivided it into plots.
The estate, located some five kilometres from Nakuru town on Nyahururu Road, is sandwiched between Menengai crater on the upper side and Hyrax Hills on the lower side. The estate’s population density is relatively increasing due to the influx of residents, some who thronged the area after the post-election violence.
According to Anthony Muchiri, a resident of the estate for about 15 years, there has been lots of construction in the estate lately.
Muchiri says that small-scale farmers who used to do subsistence farming in the area have resorted to real estate investments.
High demand
He notes that the demand for rental units has shot up by more than 100 per cent in the last five years making the construction business a gold mine for the investors.
“Besides being a solution to the high demand of houses and giving good returns to the investors, the estate gives our town an appealing look hence attracting more investors, which is positive for our economy,” he adds.
Muchiri?says that back in 1990s, a plot measuring 50 by 100ft was going for Sh50,000 but currently the minimum cost is around Sh1.5 million depending with the location.
?A single rental room is going for Sh2,500, one bedroom is Sh5,500 and a bed-sitter is going for between Sh3,500 to Sh4,000.
?The booming housing business has attracted people from the rural areas after Nakuru was declared the fastest growing town in Africa with local and foreign investors preferring to invest in the flamingo town. The main shopping centre in the estate is called Mawanga. The name is borrowed from one of the earliest shops in the area. The location of the shop later became a major matatu stop consequently metamorphosing into a shopping centre.
Former Nakuru deputy mayor Joseph Munyiri who has also seen the estate grow says old-fashioned houses have been converted to modern ones, adding that the returns on real estate as compared to that of old is much higher and attractive.
The fare while using public means to the estate in the morning is usually Sh20 from Nakuru town and in the evening it goes up to Sh30, which is affordable to most residents.
The real estate boom has benefited the area, including the major hotels in Nakuru such Kunste and Club Five, among others located?nearby.
Having been located near the famous Nakuru Boys High School and Loreto Nakuru Secondary School the estate has established itself well.
Social amenities
The presence of shopping malls, infrastructural development and employment opportunities are key indicators that even the commercial developments have gained ground in the estate.
Munyiri also notes that the competition amongst developers has impacted positively on the real estate growth in the estate as each developer tries to outdo the other.
“We have seen tremendous improvement in terms of design, facade appearance and finishing as developers try to catch the attention of the tenants,” he added
Munyiri says that the reason as to why the development in the estate has increased is the availability of construction materials, which are found some four kilometres from the estate in an area dubbed kokoto, which means hard core.
