Demand drives boom in Roysambu

A boom in highrise residential blocks is sweeping through Roysambu estate as developers move to cash in on the surge in demand for housing.

The area has seen accelerated growth since plans for the expansion of Thika Road became public, with the value of land skyrocketing and apartment owners preparing themselves for the influx of prospective tenants.

Before the completion of the superhighway and the opening of Thika Road Mall, most residential blocks were two or three storeys high.

“Things have taken a new turn in the past three years, with residential blocks now going as high as seven floors,” says Dennis Hodari, a caretaker in one of the buildings.

While new blocks are coming up every day, those that had stopped at two or three storeys have since been extended to the five-floor limit imposed by the government for buildings without lifts.

Most of the tenants in the residential flats are students from neighbouring universities and colleges. The learning institutions around the neighbourhood include the United States International University, the Kenya College of Accountancy University, Kenyatta University, and Pan African Christian University.

Hodari says the students are attracted to the estate due to its proximity to their colleges, which enables them to cut transport costs. Rarely do you find a vacant house in the estate due to the high demand among students.

“I don’t even bother advertising a vacant house since there is always a tenant eagerly waiting to move in,” he says.

The estate has also become a favourite for middle-income workers who commute to the city, with the main attraction being the ease in getting to the central business district, the relatively affordable rents, as well as access to the Northern Bypass.

Rents range between Sh10,000 and Sh14,000 a month for one-bedroom apartments while those with two bedrooms go for between Sh14,000 and Sh18,000. However, the rents have been going up since the area became “the place to live”.

Charles Maina, a resident, says he likes the area due to the availability of water and high standards of security.

“The police and CID residential flats are a few metres away, so muggings and robbery are minimal,” he says.

He adds that the houses in the estate are spacious and have tiled floors, and that the area is served by various modes of transport, including motorbikes.

Lumumba Drive divides the estate into two and construction work is ongoing on both sides, making some of the inner roads almost impassable.

Hodari says rent is higher by about Sh2,000 on the side where the Thika Road Mall sits due to the convenience it offers residents.

The mall has now become the centrepiece, providing a nucleus around which the small centre is growing fast.

The construction reflects a wave of developments along Thika Road, which has spawned multiple residential estates and the attendant shopping malls to satisfy residents who no longer wish to travel to the city centre for services.