Why Kenyans buy plots in the middle of nowhere

Peter Gitau calls himself the ‘most trusted land dealer in Kenya’ He speaks about the most preferred areas for buying land, and why owning a piece of soil is overrated

Why is buying land an emotional affair for most Kenyans?

One is aggressive capitalist ownership of land in Kenya. Prior to colonisation, land was largely communal and was hardly fought over. Today, land acquisition is a symbol of hard work and success. The thought of losing it spins huge emotions that get out of control. Obviously, my view is that this achievement is overrated.

The single source of the conflict brought about by emotions is the government and how the physical planning act is drafted and enforced. With proper enforcement, disputes and all the emotional attachment to land can be reduced by over 80 per cent.

Then there is the madness of mixed use approvals for which families have been torn apart because their acre which they have lived on for years is suddenly worth millions because developers want to put a multi- storey on it. The result is an artificial addition of value on land that should have been better left as farm land or as wildlife reserve.

Kenyans buy 40 x 80 plots in the middle of a bush and nowhere. What is the sense in that?  

The areas to buy land depend on the intended use. Obviously sellers will use a pitch by exaggerating major government projects which sometimes are years away.

So research on the area before buying. It may make sense to buy an acre in a prime location to build your family a home but it may make more sense to seek cheaper land in far areas like Laikipia or the coast  to get land that can be passed on to future generations. A piece of land can be in the bush but a few years down the road it will be prime property worth a lot of money.

Land touching tarmac is usually expensive. Why buy to build a residential home near a busy road with all the noise and dust?

Many Kenyans are forced to buy and build next to the tarmac because there are not many such roads in the interior.  So, putting up with noisy traffic is a small price to pay. It would be more comfortable and better quality living if homes are located away from noisy traffic but again it becomes a nightmare during the rainy season when roads are not tarmacked.

Githurai in Nairobi was once spacious with single house dwellings but is now a concrete slum. What are the tell-tale signs an area will turn out that way?

Githurai is not alone. There are many satellite residential areas where construction is a free for all exercise. No planning at all. The problem goes back to enforcement of the physical planning laws. The entire Eastlands of Nairobi is a zone of reckless construction.  As long as there is no enforcement of the planning laws, then all areas across the country will look like Githurai.

Which is the single most effective way of not being duped when buying land?

Conduct a search in the land registries as the information is readily and freely available so one does not need a lawyer or broker. If still in doubt after a search, then seek earlier ownership and subdivision documents from Survey of Kenya.

In some cases its best to ask the seller to provide documents showing who sold him the land. If still unsure then seek help of an established land dealer.

Land dealers are often killed in cold blood. What are the issues?

More money is lost today in open theft in tenders or in hacking into financial systems than in land transactions. This notion that land is a dangerous sector is not true.  There are cases where people stage manage land grabs or loss of money to settle scores, kill people, get rid of business competitors, settle marital problems or cover up fraudulent activities... contrary to popular belief, fraud is not perpetuated by sellers alone.

There are many cases where buyers complicate the process by pulling out of the agreement, seeking refunds or declining to complete their purchase. What was a simple purchase becomes a monster that leads to court cases, threats or deaths.   

Land dealers sell land using upcoming airports, universities and bypasses, yet the airport in Kamulu was a hoax. How does one counter check such claims?

Information on each of the so called big projects can be found in many public documents…some are online or through budget plans released by the treasury.

Which areas do Kenyans prefer buying land the most?

Of course, Kajiado is leading followed by parts of Machakos and Nakuru counties. Other upcoming areas include the Coast and Laikipia. Usually people will find it easier settling where more people are because these are the areas with the best infrastructure.

Which are the best emerging areas for buying land that Kenyans don’t know about yet…

This is a big secret that I will be ready to reveal only to those who visit me!

There is no association of land dealers. How does one tell genuine ones?

Land associations have done more harm than good because they have turned themselves into law. I would not recommend any to the public. Instead, only use government systems to transact land transfers.

Why do you call yourself ‘the most trusted land dealer in Kenya?

At Peter’s Plots we take pride in doing extensive research and background searches before we sell our land to the public. This way we have never lost land or money.  

What is the sense of buying a half acre in Karen for Sh70 million and not buy hundreds of acres for the same amount in Isinya?

The answer is simple. You either buy land to live on, to subdivide and sell or to hold for future use. It’s perfectly okay to spend lot of money buying an expensive piece of land to build a house on for your family then buy cheaper land to sell or keep for the children. At the end of the day, it’s all about the reason you need to buy the land.

Most apartments in Nairobi are on land without title deeds. Why is the process so long and complicated?

Apartment units have special Title Deeds called Sectionals Titles. The process of acquiring them will depend on who is doing it and also the pace at which they can be processed in the relevant land registries. Processing Title Deeds is still a manual process in Kenya and that can take long and be very frustrating.

How much will use of e-citizen and digitizing records help in curbing land fraud?

Obviously this will clean up the registries and make it easier to retrieve documents and make it harder for unscrupulous staff in the registry to manipulate the documents in their care. It’s the best way to sort out the current mess.

Land prices appreciate as an asset, but it’s illiquid when you need money, why the fixation with it, yet shares, treasury bills and bonds can be liquidated easily?

Owning land is considered a safe bet but then liquidating it quickly can be a challenge so it’s always good to look at other investment opportunities that can be quickly turned into money. Like a fixed bank account.

Kenyans are slowly turning 50x100 plots in satellite towns like Kamulu and Kitengela into their shagz. Is this a good thing?

Families have changed drastically over the years. The bond that we had with upcountry families has lessened and people adopted a more urban lifestyle. Moving to new areas is more about employment, lack of traditional family connections and general change in lifestyle.

Muhindis rarely invest in land but are richer and live better. Why can’t we copy them?

Contrary to popular belief the Asian community own huge chunks of prime plots worth billions of shillings.

The law now allows women to inherit. Won’t it escalate land issues?

Any Act that empowers women is an act that empowers the nation.  A woman owning land will not escalate the land problems but will in fact solve the problems. Cases of drank husbands selling land and leaving families destitute will now be reduced because the women are now empowered to stop or reverse such transactions.

Why do Kenyans still buy land even when they have been told it has issues?

Greed and ignorance.

The laws says if one stays on one piece of land for over 12 years they can acquire it through adverse possession. Any experiences with such cases?

In some cases squatters have laid claim to land by trying to take advantage of the 12 year adverse possession rule. As long as there is a report of trespassing on the land, it will be impossible for a squatter to be granted land when the owner can prove that his land has been trespassed on. Adverse possession may work best on land that is not privately owned.