By Moses Adongo
With Nakuru expected to gain the city status later in December this year, it has not been a surprise following an influx of settlement in what was former Rift Valley province headquarters. Homeowners and property investors have increased their appetite for the town, buying almost any available space.
The Lanet area, in particular, has registered an increasing focus from investors potentially changing it from a majorly military area to accommodating civilians as well. The area has been hosting military training academy and barracks thus its name ‘Home of Battalions.’ Apart from the Kenya Military Academy established during the colonial era, Lanet also hosts 3 Kenya Riffles (3KR), 81 tank battalion and Joint Warfare Center.
As revealed by residents, until the 1980s only a few wealthy Kenyans owned tens of hectares of land in the region. The other tracks of land were either used entirely for military activities or just lying unused.
“The area was covered by tall grass after the landowners stopped cultivating wheat. With no roads into the area now subdivided into Umoja One and Umoja Two Estates, very few were willing to settle here,” says Mary Njambi, a resident.
Mary reveals that she bought 1/8 acre at Sh28,000 in 2000 when there was no any visible infrastructural development in the vast lands, leave alone even a single plan by the government to do so.
Interestingly, unlike other areas in the outskirts of Nakuru, there was no rash to buy land in Lanet, which was relatively cheaper. However, as the dash to own property in this area increases, the value of property here has highly shot up with an acre currently going for millions of shillings.
“The plots which we bought at Sh30,000 today fetch at least Sh800,000. Some areas have converted into trading centers where the value of the property is higher to about Sh1.2 million. Even with this price very few are willing to sell their plots,” adds Mary.
Lanet continues to be among the best places aspiring homeowners can settle due to the mushrooming activities in it. Being a cosmopolitan town, it gives a sense of security and prestige. Despite Nakuru town mainly having experienced past ethnic clashes, Lanet area has never been affected in the previous experiences due to the military presence.
The airstrip in Lanet that has for a long time used for military planes is currently being upgraded to accommodate public transport. This is expected to open the area for business, trade and expand farming in the region apart from just offering a quick flight for passengers.
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