Well said. Devolution is a game changer. Buying a big chunk in the outskirts of the counties is better than buying 1/8s in Nairobi.

I recently met a certain retired mzee (about 70yrs) who is doing quite well. He told me during his working days as a middle level employee, he took advantage of his sacco and bought quite a number of plots in kitengela, rongai etc in 1980/90s and they were quite cheap. Whenever the sacco bought and subdivided the land he would buy with the money being deducted from his salary in installments. At the time many of his colleagues thought the areas were beneath them, or the plots were too tiny, too far, remote etc and many opted to take sacco loans to buy shambas in the village.

He has developed some of the plots and given some to his kids. The guy lives well in one of the leafy suburbs in the city but said most of his former colleagues relocated to the village after retirement.

His point was that you can never go wrong investing in land within the city and suburbs when you are young since the city will continue growing exponentially. If possible use your sacco since they allocate you the plot then you pay pole pole. He is collecting about 1m in rent each month while his colleagues are struggling growing maize in the village. He says his investments can buy him land in the village if he wishes to move there but has never had such plans since he has lived in the city nearly all his life.

We must start seeing land as a factor of production and stop focusing on this 40 by 80 speculation plots crazy *curse word' that is the fixation of majority middle class in Nairobi. Now the rush is somewhere in Narok. We must appreciate we cannot all fit in Nairobi and start looking strategically mashinani where devolution is starting to work.

Not a comma, apostrophe or full stop to add to this excellent post. At one point land on old Thika rd before the superhwy was considered not worth much. Look at it now. One of my biggest regrets is I underestimated the transformative impact that Thika Superhwy would bring while it was being built. Now I'm priced out of any land touching it!

We may disagree on strategy and location around Nairobi but I will admit your reasons for opposing certain locations never fail to entertain

Normally get these things in my inbox. It doesn't have such a commanding view of the city but looks complete

link

At the rate people are giving birth in this town, we just have to squeeze them in the sky. We can't afford to ruin the country side. They will be no food to feed all the mouths if we convert every place to real estate.

I was totally shocked when I took a drive to Kikuyu, thogoto, gikambura, limuru. it was all bungalows, maisonettes, some flats. Horrible!!! what is happening to farming land

Looooooots of land in the British countryside but watu wamejazwa kama kondoo in the cities. Remember the whole of kenya can fit it into Tokyo