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The Easiest Way to Get Land in Kenya
Interested in investing in Lamu, Kenya’s most ancient island town? If what you want to do involves acquiring land on the island, then you better hurry before prices go through the roof.
New developments are creating spiraling of land prices all over the country. But so far, there is nowhere where it has risen as high as in Lamu since the government announced plans to build a ultra-modern port in the town. The town will be the starting point of a modern transport system of what is being called the Second Transport Corridor, traversing the northern part of Kenya.
Before the announcement of the project, land was reportedly selling at Shs 100,000 an acre (about $1,250). Now an acre, if you can get it, especially near the planned port facility, is going for Shs10 million (about $1,428,571).
Of course, if you want a piece of land in Kenya, there are many other ways of acquiring one. The easiest way was described by the former Chief Executive of Kenya Airports Authority Mr. George Muhoho. And the method is simply to apply for government land indicating “how you will help Kenyans” if you get the land. You can for example, state how many people you will employ, how much the government will earn and so on and so forth.
Qatar followed the same method and acquired a whooping 90 acres of the most prime land in Kenya next the Jomo Kenyatta Airport for 80 years. The Qataris were to build:
• A five-star hotel with 350 beds
• A four star hotel with 250 beds
• An exhibition centre
• Convention and conference facilities
• A medical facility to cater for international clients. (The only competing similar facilities are in Indian and Thailand, according to father Muhoho).
And what was Kenya to get?
• An annual rent
• 5 per cent of gross income
• 50 per cent of fees charged to exhibitors
• An investment of $350 million (about Shs 30 billion)
• Kenyans will own the investment after 80 years.
Mr. Muhoho reminded skeptical Kenyans that the Kenya Airports Authority has land totaling 11,000 acres at Embakasi (Jomo Kenyatta Airport), most of it idle. And he asks: Would you rather have idle land? I don’t know.
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