@BAAK,

It is possible for Kenya to construct a new capital. From Nigerian Experience. it is a long term capital intensive project. The way out is to consistently make provision for the construction of the new capital. Nigeria conceived the idea way back in 1976 and the seat of govt moved from Lagos to Abuja 18 years after in 1993.

Kenya can have 20 to 30 years plan to relocate to a new central location and build from scratch. GOK can consistently make provision of say 3 Billion KSH or less yearly as capital expenditure to this effect.. Nairobi is choked up and it is getting worse. Now is the time to plan ahead. It is an eyesore for the prestigious Nairobi Hilton Hotel to be located in such a crowded environment at the city center. That place can go for a supermarket. No wonder the most patronized Bata shoe shop is on the ground floor of Nairobi Hilton annex.

See my specific response to your concerns in bold.



Construct another JKIA

Moving the capital does not mean you must contstruct a fantastic airport. Lagos airport is still bigger and better than the new capital Abuja airport. Nairobi will still be the commercial nerve center of Kenya.

· Construct another KNH
There is nothing wrong to construct a new modern hospital to provide options for Kenyan citizans. It brings specialist health care nearer to the people. People from the coast or eastern region need not travel to Nairobi but to the new capital to receive the urgent needed medical attention. It is a very good thing BAAK. It forces central govt to build additional specialist hospital.


· Build another parliament & statehouse
This is in order the old parliament and state house can be put to another use or sold out


· Build government buildings and parastatals
The buildings in Nairobi can be sold out or converted to other commercial or revenue generation uses.


· Construct roads,railway station
What is wrong about that. Creating options to citizens.


· Come up with posh estates like Runda,Karen,Muthaiga,etc where the rich and famous will be willing to stay
Govt will only allocate and sell land,private individuals will be more than willing to build up. Foreign embassies can be allocated land free and given dateline to develop their land and relocate.


· Construct perfect infrastructure i.e. electricity,water & sewerage facilities
· Stay away from UNDP HQ!
· & much more…
UNDP will be more than willing to construct annex in the new capital,there is nothing wrong in maintaing Nairobi as the HQ. It enables govt to construct infrastructure at their pace from scratch and this becomes the best and the model for other regions.



Please be aware that vision comes before provision. Ideas come before implementation


It is possible to create a new capital in a centralized location from land carved out from many region at rhe center. It creates sense of unity and spirit of oneness which Kenya desperately need. But it should be a very long term project. But the earlier it starts because of the impsct of inflation on cost implication,the better.
It brings the central govt nearer to all regions.



With Regards

Young,
Lagos,Nigeria



AFRICAN INVESTOR

There is an Ad in today's DN property pages regarding plots for sale at Makutano Junction.the plots are 50 by 100 ft and each going for Kshs 1M.Are these guys serious?

@chaka,

I was also amazed and decided to call the guys. Was met by a mzungu lady's voice. Asked her why they are selling the plots at 1M and she said that coz its near the road and 35km from Nai. Actually I was curious coz I got a 2.25 acre piece which av just subdivided and about to advertise for sale and I had thought I'd sell them at 350k-400k.

..wise as a serpent,humble as a dove

@TB et al thanks. I was looking for this information just the previous week.

@Young,I agree we can move the capital to another location and there have been proposed sites including Isiolo which is dead center of nearly everywher in EA. However for the government to invest 3BN a year is a too little. The Hong Kong International was built out at sea in HK in 8 years flat. Part of the process included reclaiming land from the sea as HK did not have any more land.

Dubai is currently building resorts and homes out at sea including the 'Palm Islands' which are almost complete,the 'World' which is about 200 man made islands forming the shape of the world and a third man made island whose name i cannot recall. The thing about these projects is that they began in 2000 and should be complete by the year 2016. The Dubai Govt is investing heavily led by the Crown Prince. I know you all think that Dubai has oil howver you need to note that they estimate that their oil reserves are expected to be depleted by 2016 hence the deadline. Dubai by the end of the project will have increased its coastline by over 2000%. (16years to reclaim many sq km of land from the sea and build housing while we r asleep)


My point is that there is no reason for the govt to invest only 3 Bn a year. With serious focus th gvernment can invest 30Bn a year for 3 years on low cost housing. We have no land to reclaim. By 2013 we will have many people housed. And then how will it be paid for? The taxes you and i pay for,long-term debt instruments,the people who will buy the houses and one radicall idea getting a deficit. A deficit for housing instead of the usual corruption deficit we incur.
This will definately go a long way in increasing the sanity in the housing sector and reducing prices. As Marty says thea is demand but its not effective demand. Well with this plan we get more guys able to buy houses.

IF YOU EVER LOSE,MAKE SURE YOU NEVER LOSE THE LESSON!!

@jamani,

Who is the developer?Has he been cleared by NEMA?

@jamini,

It appears you are looking at history i.e this estate was bulit and sold out in 2007!

And to round up the mega-fraud re: NSSF/Nyayo Embakasi village…. Ministers and Mpigs have purchased entire block of flats and rows of maisonettes at through away prices…. to answer Jamani’s Qn … the low selling price is for their benefit… perhaps its time to nationalise private property… NSSF/Nyayo Embakasi village should be the first on the list… any one with more than one house should surrender the rest… capitalism has failed Africa… okay so has socialism/ujamaa… time for a hybrid?


I would have said something smarter..but the moment passed

The bubble burst a long time ago but estate agents and investors are still burying their heads in the sand like an ostrich. I saw an ad for KSh 17.5m 3br flats on Rhapta Rd,Westy that will be ready in 2010. They're actually opposite my digs,a 3br flat that I luckily bought last year for KSh 6.3m from an emigrating couple. Our compound has lots of parking,a backyard,and lots of mature trees and flowers unlike the new developments. This is because it was done in the 70s when developers weren't stingy with space.



There's a dude who's burnt his fingers doing so-called town houses in Karen on less than half-acre (actually illegal in Karen) and trying to sell them for KSh 37.5m. Needless to say,nobody has bought any of them for over a year now. How can they when a 4br house in Karen on 1 acre with mature trees is going for KSh 30m while a 4br in Old Muthaiga on 0.5 acres is going for KSh 45m?



There are also lots of blocks of flats in Westy where you'll find only 1 or 2 digs with curtains. If no digs in a compound has curtains,then you can conclude that the flats are not yet ready. But if you have only 1 or 2 digs with curtains in a block of 40,what does that mean? It means some naive buyers got suckered. If you don't believe me,just do laps in my hood.

@Fantony,

Thank you for that illuminating piece on NSSF,Mugoya sleaze.
Real estate prices are not coming down at least not in the foreseeable future and while we are at it,here are a few home truths.One,no amount of noise-making will bring down interest rates on mortgages. Banks in this market are driven by the maximization of wealth for their shareholders,anything else comes a distant second including helping the growth of regional economies.So,it is safe to say that home ownership is the sole responsibility of the buyer. Second,land the primal resource on which property is developed is held for speculative purposes and is only in the hands of a few profiteering Kenyans.Let me be clear here.There is absolutely nothing wrong with this,after all any investor wants the highest ROI.In the UK for example land prices are regulated and by extension those of property as well. You cannot sell land for more than the determined value. Here government has failed to intervene through policy and law. The truth of the matter is the home buyer is on his own.What is the solution to this problem? Two things.You could pressure your government to intervene by buying back land or through legal and policy means.Downside is Time and Success.(Too much time expended with too little success)
Another way is using the tried and tested method(Traditional ways). In the past how did people acquire land in Kenya? Though grabbing(illegal with the risk of repossession and/or jail term,lynching),pooling resources with like-minded Kenyans OR waiting to accumulate the ever elusive millions of dollars/shillings/dirhams et al. Like much of life,the choice is yours...that is my one dirham....

Patience Pays in Guaranteed Checks

The future lies in the satellite towns of Thika,Athi-Mavoko,Limuru,Ngong and Kiambu.

The only challenege is proper planning. By 2017,Nairobi will be unlivable.