Market News

Kajiado construction sector rivals Nairobi’s

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A worker at a construction site in Kisumu. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Kajiado has emerged as the second investment hotspot for property developers after Nairobi, according to the industry regulator.

Latest National Construction Authority (NCA) applications show that out of the 5,156 project submissions in the 2018/19 fiscal year, 572 were from the county.

Nairobi registered the highest number of applications at 604 followed by Kajiado, Kiambu (491), Nakuru (386), Machakos (323), Mombasa (277) and Kisumu (103).

The data shows that within the county’s five constituencies, Kajiado North, which includes Ongata Rongai, Ngong and Kiserian, had 260 applications, Kajiado East including Kitengela (217), Kajiado Central (52), Kajiado South (29) and Kajiado West (14).

The 2019 quarter three Hass Land Index shows that land value in Kiserian, Kitengela and Ngong appreciated 7.58 percent, 7.9 percent and 6.88 percent respectively between 2007 and 2019.

“Meanwhile, asking price for land has gone up in Kiserian (Sh8.7 million), Kitengela (Sh11.5 million), Ngong (Sh13.7 million) and Ongata Rongai (Sh11.5 million),” the Hass index shows.

During the period, the regulator received 5,156 applications from the 47 counties.

The applications were subcategorised into commercial (1,273), mixed-use (500), residential (3,286) and undefined (97).

In Nairobi, Westlands registered highest application at 128, Starehe (32), Kasarani (80), Embakasi East (94), Lang’ata (105), Kamukunji (36).

Elgeyo Marakwet, Wajir, West Pokot and Turkana submitted the fewest applications at 2, 4, 5 and 7 respectively.

The 2020 Leading Economic Indicators show the value of approved buildings rose by 12.5 billion between the six month to June in 2019 in comparison to the same period in 2018.