Lolwe, from deserted bush to bustling estate

Harold Ayodo

Lolwe estate in Kisumu, formerly a deserted bush, is experiencing a construction explosion since private developers moved into the area less than five years ago. Located adjacent to the upper middle class Kenya-Re and Migosi estates, things in Lolwe have never been the same.

Investors who bought plots measuring an eighth of an acre at less than Sh100,000 a decade ago are now selling them at Sh700,000 as demand continues to soar. Others are holding on to theirs hoping to reap more than Sh1 million, which property pundits say will be realised before the end of the year.

Availability of domestic water courtesy of the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (Kiwasco) also explains the high cost of the plots. Water shortage was acute in the lakeside town until Kiwasco embarked on a project to increase connected users.

Good money

Prospective homeowners have fenced most of the 574 plots they bought from the Lolwe Housing Co-operative Society. Most investors putting up three-bedroom houses are middle-income earners while others are constructing flats. Some business investors acquired larger plots and are putting up a school and a shopping centre at the heart of the estate.

Owners who have opted to rent out their houses charge Sh15,000 per month for a three-bedroom unit and Sh12,000 for a two-bedroom. There are, however, no servants’ quarters or bed-sitters in the estate as is common in modern constructions. Houses with in-built wardrobes, kitchen cupboards and tiled floors are in higher demand.

Apart from lawyers who do conveyancing (property transfer), expert builders and casuals are also making good money. Women selling food at construction sites and watchmen are also benefiting.

Value to estate

The constructions in Lolwe will make a difference as 60 per cent of residents in Kisumu live in informal settlements mainly in Nyalenda, Manyatta and Obunga. Lolwe’s infrastructure has also benefited from the Council’s initiative to install streetlights and tarmacked roads in areas where investors are developing residential houses.

Proximity to Kondele, which is a business hub with a market, dispensaries, hardware shops and a host of entertainment spots, adds value to the estate.

Most children in Lolwe go to Mbita Academy Junior School in the posh Kenya Re estate less than 500 metres away.

Public transport

Heaps of garbage that were an eyesore near Lolwe are no more thanks to the Kazi Kwa Vijana initiative. The municipality of Kisumu says rapid urbanisation trends in the past decade coupled with low investment in infrastructure resulted in enormous pressure on existing amenities.

The annual growth rate of the lakeside town is estimated at 2.8 per cent with densities of 828 persons per square kilometre. Government statistics show Kisumu records one of the highest urban population densities in the country coupled with complexities in urban planning.

Almost 80 per cent of the land in Kisumu is rural but was included within the city boundary during the 1971 extension.

Public transport to Lolwe is readily available. Matatus plying route 44 pick and drop passengers at the main entrance of the estate. They charge Sh20 to the Central Business District while boda bodas (bicycle taxis) charge Sh10 from the main gate to homes.

Demand for housing increased in Kisumu after the Government earmarked several development projects including a facelift of Kisumu Airport pegged at Sh2.6 billion. The Ministry of Housing channelled Sh35 million towards slum upgrading in Kisumu in the previous financial year.