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Renting Or Buying In Kenya’s Gated Communities: What You Get For Your Money

Renting Or Buying In Kenya’s Gated Communities: What You Get For Your Money

Recent massive infrastructure projects in Kenya have led to the increased popularity of gated communities, an unintended consequence that has spurred the real estate sector.

You’d be surprised what you can get for your money.

With a good road network now guaranteed in almost all suburban areas around Nairobi, the middle class has taken advantage of less expensive areas outside the capital where gated communities are springing up virtually overnight.

On the recently constructed superhighway connecting Nairobi to Thika 40 kilometers away, several developments have already come up, with more under construction.

Commuting is expected to become easier with the building of a standard gauge railway, a multi-billion dollar project that was one of the main items on the agenda during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s recent visit to China.

The railway will reduce the need to haul cargo using road transport, ensuring savings by using the cheaper rail alternative and reducing damage to roads caused by heavy trucks.

But more than that, the new railway will help decongest the road network.

For a tidy sum of $140,000 $235,000, one can buy a three- or four-bedroom home within easy reach of the Kenyan capital.

A similar stand-alone home outside the gated communities costs $78,000 to $140,000, depending on locality.

For $500 a month, one can rent a three-bedroom home of approximately 1,500 square feet in a gated community

Prices vary depending on the locality and interior features. Rent rarely exceeds $1,000.

Their unique features have quickly endeared gated compounds to the middle class. From the outside, they exude an aura of luxury with six-foot brick walls and steel gates assuring potential residents of their security.

The gates are manned day and night by guards from leading security firms. The electronic gates and 24-hour security is of particular importance in a city that suffers from spiraling insecurity. The streets and perimeter walls are well lit, with cameras strategically placed.

Gated communities with names like La Nyavu Gardens, Greenhills, Thika Greens, Kihingo Village and Vipingo Ridge have well-trimmed lawns that speak of exclusivity.

Homes have features such as separate sitting and dining areas, and open American-style kitchens fitted with high and low-level cabinets. They also have stylish finishing with tiled floors and executive wardrobes.

The inside of a typical home in a gated community is a study in immaculate finishing, with spacious layout and ample natural light

In one gated community, the main entrance of each home leads to a spacious lounge with an open plan and fully-fitted kitchen adjoined the dining room.

Casement windows provide ample lighting to the entire area. The living room leads to a beautifully-tiled restroom and an airy, private garden.

The upper floor includes a master en suite with two large bedrooms and a common bathroom.

Roofs are finished off with Spanish clay tiles. Natural machine-cut stones dress the walls.

The floor are tiled throughout with wood parquet for the living and dining room areas.

The doors are made of mahogany.

The gated communities also offer social amenities.

Gated communities target customers among the rich and upper middle class, says Irene Thome of East Gates Apartments. They are also popular among senior government officials and diplomats.

Real estate developers are also eyeing retirees, who are adapting the idea of the gated community lifestyle. Many want a serene environment that offers security and access to necessities within easy reach.

But not everyone who can afford a home in a gated community is rushing to the bank. Accountant Isaac Kiguru says that although he can afford it, he is comfortable living in his modest two bedroom house for a monthly rent of $165. This enables him to save most of his income.

Kenya’s gated communities may offer amenities such as swimming pools, gyms, man-made lakes and club houses. Some are affiliated with office blocks and shopping malls.

Some have kindergarten and primary schools, a hospital or a medical care center, and a security office. Recreational facilities may include playing fields and special rooms for indoor games

But it is not only in Nairobi where gated communities are springing up. Down at the coast, villas in a gated community adjacent to the beach fetch between $176,000 and $295,000. The higher-end villas normally have four or five bedrooms.

One recently constructed community at the coast is famous for its 18-hole golf course and private airstrip. Other features include a bio digester community center and a nature park, hotels, golf and country clubs

Some gated homes are built with attached units. Others have fenced homes that are completely detached from each other offering greater privacy.

Servants’ quarters are optional.

Every home is installed with solar water heating and underground fiberoptic wiring. Backup power system generators, underground water tanks with pumps and rainwater harvesting systems are also installed.

Each home also has a perimeter stone wall with laser wire on top. The landscape is kept green with sprinklers.

In Kenya, it is a luxurious lifestyle that is proving irresistible to Nairobi’s large army of well-to-do entrepreneurs, senior executives and professionals. Shrewd investors are reaping dividends from this latest fad.