A few years ago, Nyali, an upmarket estate in Mombasa where the wealthy lived had very few high-rise buildings.
The zoning rules did not allow some types of houses, meaning that a bungalow owner sunbathing by his swimming pool on a Sunday afternoon had little chance of being stared at by residents living in a towering apartment building built right near his fence.
But now a gradual transformation is happening in the Nyali suburb. Developers are squeezing high-rise buildings, some as tall as 10 floors, between mansions.
Homeowners are forced to either sell and relocate to Vipingo or Bofa in Kilifi, areas that are less crowded or contend with a lack of privacy.
Developers argue that with a rising working and middle-class population in Mombasa, apartments make sense.
“I had to sell my bungalow in Nyali and move to Vipingo where there is privacy. Where I lived in Nyali for the past 10 years, now sits a five-storey building,” says John Kariuki, a Mombasa businessman.
The 43-year-old who lived on Mombasa’s Links Road says in its heyday, Nyali was a perfect place considering its proximity to businesses and serenity.
“The three-bedroom home which I bought during an auction at Sh6 million was perfect and I had no plans to move but an increasing number of apartments around it infringed on our privacy. Also, most of the buildings affected sewerage causing leakages and affecting the environment,” he says.
Mr Kariuki is not alone. Jackeline Mbugua, who inherited a four-bedroom maisonette had to sell it because of the high cost of maintaining a vacant home.
“The house has a lawn and swimming pool but due to high-rise apartments around it remained vacant for more than six months and I could not sustain it.
I used to pay Sh40,000 per month for security services and Sh20,000 wage for a gardener to maintain the house because I could not live in it as I live in Nairobi,” says Ms Mbugua.
There is also a high demand from people who want to live in Nyali but cannot afford to buy land and build.
Paul Kiagi, the chairman of Pauland Properties Group, owns several apartments with at least 11 flats each. He says the increasing population and demand for houses in Mombasa have made the apartment business more lucrative.
In addition, many prospecting homeowners cannot afford to buy a house in Nyali, therefore opt to rent.
High land prices
“A plot in Nyali currently goes for about at least Sh15 million. The majority of middle-class employees cannot afford to buy but can rent apartments thus increasing demand. With the increasing population of the middle class, those who consider themselves rich are now shifting to areas they consider private such as Vipingo and Kikambala,” says Mr Kiagi. – Business Daily
