This archive report was first published on 9 June 2020.
Published on June 9, 2020, a report by Nyakundi Report revealed the shocking reality of off-plan home buying in Nairobi and its outskirts.
Over the last decade, off-plan development projects have been the primary route to home ownership for low-income earners in the region. However, in recent times, it has turned into a bitter cocktail, with Kenyans sinking millions of shillings to buy houses that are a far cry from the dream units seen in photos.
Some home developers have gone out of business, designs have failed to match the market hype, and fittings and finishes have been cheap, leaving the home buyer staring at huge losses besides having to live in a house that does not fulfill their dreams.
Early occupants have found themselves living on a building site with construction clatter, ruining the much-needed serene environment, besides health hazards of dust.
A sneak preview of some of the off-plan developments in Nairobi by some developers reveals the shock that most home-buyers who opt for the plan risk plunging into.
Residential units by a local real estate firm are a pale shadow of what was promised to home-buyers and lack of electricity for almost a month has added to the woes of the families.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said, 'We're living here in darkness and the management isn't even having the courtesy to remedy the situation.'
Another disgruntled owner added, 'Some of us have even bought our own generators because as you can see, we are on our own.'
The residents are now using a makeshift bio-digester due to the incomplete sewerage line and some houses with flushing units not working, posing health hazards to the families.
Home-owners bought the units for about Sh3.5 million but what they are grappling with are small houses, cramped together—a far cry from the dream house they were promised.
A spot check of the Acacia 1 project tells a totally different story with works barely half-way done and the 15 houses are all abandoned.
