Services and facilities

The Safari Centre hosts various facilities including electric vehicle charging stations, children’s play areas, rest rooms, restaurants, and retail stores, right beside the highway. It also has a car wash, pharmacy, a petrol station, curio shops and a Dr Mattress store. The rest rooms are an entirely new kind of designer-rest rooms, under Dowgate’s high-tech rest-room brand, Loo4U.

Travelers will also have different food store choices to purchase foods and snacks. The Centre is being anchored by supermarket Naivas and a wide range of eateries, including ArtCaffe, Chicken Inn, Creamy Inn, Galitos, and Pizza Inn, all which are great choices for food and snacks.

Naivas has opened at the Safari Centre with plans to service some of the 400,000 local shoppers in and around Naivasha. An estimated 200,000 travellers a month who are expected to stop at the service centre. This is the 84th Naivas store in the country.

Electric car charging point

The centre’s electric charging points are the first outside Nairobi and will make it possible for electric vehicles to drive from Nairobi to Kisumu and back. They will be able to charge their cars each way at the Naivasha Safari Centre.

The firm joins others like ChargeNet and Drive Electric, which have set up centres in Nairobi to provide the equivalent of petrol stations for electric cars.

The launch of the electric car charging point comes as the momentum for adopting electric vehicles in Kenya grows steadily, with calls for clean energy solutions to reverse climate change impact get louder.

The Safari Centre in Naivasha is the first of many. The company currently has ongoing projects at various stages of construction on the Nairobi to Nyeri road at Makutano in Kirinyaga.

With further electric charging stations at Makutano, the developer’s second centre will ensure it is possible to travel from Nairobi to the Mount Kenya region using an electric vehicle.

The green building stands proudly at the heart of Nairobi and has been a point of reference to most newcomers in the city. The 21-storey building is home to several businesses that include banks, restaurants, clinics.

It is also close to most long distance public vehicles terminuses, especially those going to the Western part of Kenya and Rift Valley. 

WoK details the ownership of the iconic building.

Afya Centre Ownership

The building is owned by Afya Sacco members. It acts as the Headquarters of Afya Sacco Society and the front offices services activities of the Sacco (POSA).

The Sacco also owns maisonettes located at Kamburu off Ngong road. They get money from renting out the maisonettes and the building which is paid as dividends to its members. 

Afya Co-operative Savings and Credit Society was incorporated on 8th May 1971. It started with 30 members and now has over 30,000 members.

Their primary objective is to promote a culture of accelerated monthly savings from members. It is through the savings that members can be given loans to do something productive. 

According to their website, their operative principles include:

• Democratic control 
• Open and voluntary membership 
• Non-discrimination 
• Limited Interest on capital 
• Co-operative education
• Proportional distribution of surplus 
• Co-operative among Co-operatives 

Sacco Scandal 

The giant Sacco was embroiled in a scandal from the end of 2019. By this time, the Sacco had accumulated assets amounting to Sh17 billion. Few publications claimed that top officials had been looting the Sacco.

In a 29th July 2020 Facebook post by Citizen Weekly, it was alleged that there was a vicious war emanating from corruption queries involving billions of shillings.

The money was allegedly siphoned from the Sacco since 2018. This issue reportedly resulted in the involvement of Peter Munya,  the then Cabinet Secretary in charge of Co-operatives.

This led to arrest of several members including the CEO Livingston Sakwa, who was later sacked. Citizen Weekly’s post elicited reactions from some netizens claiming to be members who were complaining about several issues. Some said they had requested for a loan and months down the line, the Sacco was yet to grant it.

With the introduction of off-planning housing, a section of Kenyans got a chance of becoming homeowners without the hustle of dealing with contractors, suppliers and other nitty gritties involved in building. Hence, most real estate agencies promising off plan housing especially for low income earners boomed. Enter Suraya Properties, a real estate firm owned by the Muraya’s that offered clients unbeatable deals. 

WoK chronicles the once behemoth that was Suraya Property Group and its eventual fall. 

Peter and Susan Muraya

Spearheading this development was husband and wife duo, Peter and Susan Muraya. Each of them had prior experience running their own businesses. Susan was an experienced fashion designer behind Kenya Fashion Week whose clientele included Kenya Airways. On the other hand, Peter, an architectural graduate from the University of Nairobi (UoN), tried his hands in a number of business ventures that quickly collapsed. In the 90s, he had a three-floor club called Zig Zag Zog.

Peter’s background and education 

He was born in Kahaini area in Murang’a county. His father was an officer in charge of Kenya Prison Industries. He was brought up in a family of three brothers and four sisters. Peter attended Kamiti Nursery School followed by Magecha Full Primary School in Kandara. Magecha was very different from his previous school.

“When I reported to the local school, I was chased away for wearing shoes while everyone else walked barefoot. As a result, jiggers had a party feasting on my soft feet. Thankfully, we had some local antiseptic, the bitter juice of ndongu (solanum) plant,” Peter recalled in an interview with The Standard.

He was then transferred to Nairobi Primary School but would still spend the holidays working at his family’s farm in Murang’a. For his O and A levels, he attended Lenana School where he was an avid rugby player.

He entered into the world of business when he began transporting people’s coffee using his father’s pick up. By the time he was being admitted to the UoN, he had started transporting French beans to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. In 1987, he graduated from the premier institution with a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. 

Business 

At first, his father wanted to use his connections to help him secure formal employment. However, he was uninterested having gotten used to doing his own work. 

When he met his mother-in-law, his decision was further cemented. She worked as a protocol officer at the office of the president and still ran some side jobs. 

Teaming with his brother, he formed an architectural firm called Emms Architects. In 1992, he ventured out on his own and founded Plence Architect. With his savings, Peter also got into a number of businesses, some of which failed. 

Also Read: Triad Architects: The Company Behind Iconic Buildings In Nairobi

First, he opened a furniture store in Kibera which was followed by a showroom in Westlands. The latter collapsed due to prohibitive rentals. 

He then ventured into the transportation business. He bought a lorry which ferried goods to the Great Lake region. The business also died after some people dismantled the lorry and sold its parts. The vehicle disappeared somewhere in the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

This was followed by the opening of Zig Zag club which boasted two impressive dance floors. The business enjoyed relative success and he even managed to bring international musicians to perform, including Coolio and Franco. He still ended up losing a lot of money and the business led to the auctioning of two of their houses. It turned out to be a very challenging time for Peter and his then young family. 

Politics 

In 2002, he made yet another decision that would affect his finances. In order to show support for his friend Uhuru Kenyatta (who was KANU chairman), he volunteered to run for the Kandara Parliamentary seat. This was in the hopes that Uhuru would win the presidential election. They both lost and a huge part of his family’s fortune was also blown.

Real estate

The experience taught him that people’s problems couldn’t be solved through politics. He found out many just wanted handouts and were not interested in future developments. After the election, he got a lot of job offers from friends who had gotten into the government but turned them down. He wanted to discover his calling. A friend urged him to read Rich Dad Poor Dad.

The ever enterprising Muraya knew real estate was his passion. He could draw up designs but lacked the land to develop. When friends found out he wanted to go into property development, they felt he had lost it. It was only his wife, Sue, who believed in him. At the time, it was a business majorly controlled by Asians and he decided to break the monopoly. 

To venture into the business, he partnered with others. He took out a Sh15 million loan with his house as collateral and a friend who had sold some flats poured Sh12 million into the venture. 

Also Read: Tatu City Project: The Sh240 Billion Smart City Rivaling Kenyatta Owned Northlands City 

Their first project was Castle Rock Gardens in Milimani. They were accused by the National Environmental Management Authority of building on a riparian reserve.

The businessman then traversed across Kiambu looking for people with spare land. He wanted them to enter an agreement where they would give land and Muraya’s team would build. They would then share the proceeds which some thought was an insane proposition. One person gave them a chance and that’s how the Rosslyn Heights pilot project was born. 

Suraya is what would make the couple infamous. The business propelled them into the limelight with Peter Muraya being called to speak in various programs including Movers and Shakers on Citizen TV. The company received a lot of publicity through the media and became a trusted entity. 

Troubles 

Trouble began in 2019 when several of their clients began to complain of unfulfilled promises and moved to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Others complained that their houses were not constructed yet they had paid for it. For some, it was the fact that the houses were poorly constructed and had numerous problems.

In an interview published by the Daily Nation, a customer named Laurie bitterly complained that after spending more than a million (most of which was a loan), they delivered a place with no street lights, a swimming pool which she best described as a mosquito breeding pond, and there was no sewer treatment plant. The residents also realized that the developer had left them with a Sh1 million water bill. By this time Laurie had spent at least Sh2.8 million, she still had issues with getting a lease from Suraya and had no proof of ownership. To top it all, she had also invested millions in their other properties with nothing to show for. 

Another buyer named Muchiri Maina also spent more than Sh2 million on a project called The Falls of Riverside. The apartments were in a prime location and went for Sh14.5 million, which he thought was a good deal. He did his research and realized people had good things to say about Suraya. Agreeing with his wife, they began making cash payments  for the property whose construction was to begin in November 2015 and end in 2017. He realized that something was wrong when by late 2016 construction had not started. He reached out to Peter wanting a refund. Peter told him he would regret his decision once the units were ready but Maina had made the decision to get his money back. They agreed on a payment plan after which he was given the first cheque of Sh900,000. Afterwards, there was nothing else and his efforts to follow up were met with a brick wall. 

In 2019, a bank put up their Sh384 million luxury residential houses in the upmarket Lavington for auction for failing to settle a loan. 

These are just two among many other complainants against the developers. On his part, Mr. Muraya said the company had fallen into hard economic times. Among its troubles was the fall of Chase and Imperial bank which were big on real estate investments. He also blamed other buyers for stalling on their payments even as most launched complaints with the DCI.

Sammyboy, real name ​​Samuel Ondieki, is a fashion influencer and a renowned forex trader. He has over 400,000 followers on Instagram and over 26k subscribers on YouTube. He recently launched a gaming lounge in USIU road christened Coolkids connect. 

WoK takes you on a tour of his multi-million apartment. 

Apartment Tour 

Sammy lives in a three-bedroom apartment in a serene surrounding. Right after the entrance, is a spacious living room fitted with a comfortable looking L-shaped seat. The seat worth Sh250,000 is from Furniture Palace. 

The cream white walls give the room a relaxing and spacious look. There is also a large 85 inch Sony Television worth sh350,000. The light furnishings hanging above the high ceilings and walls depict class and elegance and blend in with the comfortable theme of the house.  Right outside the living room is a beautifully decorated balcony with a vibrant grass imitation carpet. It is furnished with comfortable outdoor seats including a hanging swing chair. The balcony also boasts a heater to warm the place up during the cold days. Before getting to the dining room, there’s a simple wall with two colorful seats and a wall pasted with black and white photos of himself and his family. 

Also Read: YoungMoney: Inside The Multi-million Houses Of Kenyan Celebrities In Their 20s

In the dining room, a simple dark gleaming table and chairs stand proudly. Adjacent to the set, is an office-like space that boasts a table and comfortable office chair. Above the dining hall walls hang two very colorful paintings which stand out and provide a taste of color to the otherwise neutral space. One of the paintings is a picturesque depiction of Hong Kong.  

The classy kitchen is fitted with a gas cooker, enough shelves for storage and beautiful granite tops. Besides the kitchen is a laundry area which also boasts a huge double door shinny Samsung fridge. This leads up to a spacious corridor which has a multi layered shoe rack fitted with all kinds of shoes of different types and colors. There’s a simple and functional guest bathroom.

Bedrooms 

The three bedrooms are each decorated differently. One is a room which is used by his sisters and has a simple bed and an eccentric painting hanging above it. The other is a guest bedroom which has large windows that provide panoramic views of the surrounding. Then there’s the en-suite masters bedroom whose style can only be described as inviting and peaceful. A large bed sits on the wall with a 55-inch Hisense television hanging in front of it. Opposite the bed is a small shelf decorated with an array of designer perfumes. The bedroom also comes with a spacious window and a simple bathroom/ washroom.

Here is the video to the apartment:

Gachagua, who was named by DP Ruto as the Kenya Kwanza Alliance presidential running mate heading into the August 9, 2022, general elections, boasts over three decades of service in public administration.

The lawmaker is easily among Kenya’s richest individuals thanks to his vast interests in various sectors of the economy. Just like, all the other affluent persons in Kenya, the Mathira MP resides in a lavish mansion.

WoK in this article gives you a tour of Gachagua’s posh house.

House

After he was named the Kenya Kwanza presidential running mate, Gachagua was interviewed by Inooro TV at his home, giving Kenyans an exclusive peek into the lawmaker’s house.

Gachagua’s home is a breath of fresh air. From the well-manicured lawns to the neatly trimmed fence, the MP’s compound is amazing. The flowers in front of the house and around the compound add to the home’s exquisite beauty.

The compound is rounded off by a well-kept garden and a swimming pool.

The house’s exterior is dominantly white in colour, roofed with red tiles. The front porch boasts a well-designed corridor, decorated with flower vases that give their guests a warm welcome to their home. The mansion has beautiful balconies, tastefully designed doors and windows.

From the living room ceiling, hangs a beautiful chandelier that pays testament to the family’s exquisite taste. Their patio is neatly designed with unique matching wooden chairs and a table.

The house also has a well-equipped indoor gym, where Gachagua exercises after a long day of politics. During the interview, he revealed that he normally spends most of his mornings in the gym.

“I wake up and use the treadmill for 30 minutes three times. When corona started I had 92 kgs and now I am 86. I have lost 6kgs,” he said.

The MP also owns another home in Sagana.

Gachagua Wealth

The Mathira MP has been on the spotlight often over his billions, which many allege to be proceeds of illicit dealings. However, the lawmaker has on numerous occasions defended his fortune, saying that he made his billions by successfully running his businesses during the reign of late President Mwai Kibaki when Kenya’s economy was stable.

During an interview with Citizen TV on July 20, 2021, Gachagua dismissed allegations that he used his position as a member of parliament to bag lucrative government tenders.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had claimed that the lawmaker make millions by using proxies to trade with the County Government of Nyeri when his brother, the late Nderitu Gachagua was governor.

The MP explained that his entrepreneurial journey started when he was a student at the university. He used to organise discos and sold sweets.

“I’m a prudent businessman; I started doing business 40 years ago. At the university we used to get KSh 2600 as boom, I would organise discos and pick half of the money from these guys; I had a car, I had a factory for sweets,” he stated.

Rigathi stated that he made some of his money by giving loans to people that had earned tenders and they would repay him with a profit after they had been paid.

“If you have a tender, you win and you come to me and say I have this tender of Ksh20 million, I need Ksh15 million, can you lend it to me and I give it to you and you do the tender, when you are paid, you pay me back it’s not a crime [SIC],” he said.

Gachagua, whose bank accounts containing Ksh202 million were frozen, expressed his confidence that he can account for all the money that he earned before the court.

During another interview, the lawmaker explained that he grows various cash crops at his Nyeri farm which he sells to local markets.

Companies associated with Gachagua

Gachagua has been associated with several companies, some of which include; Wamunyoro Investments Limited, Encater Diagnostics Ltd, Technical Supplies and Services (K), Skytop Agencies, Skytop Agencies, Riang International Group Limited, Machine Centre Ltd, Jenne Enterprises, Jenne Enterprises, Rapid Medical Supplies Ltd, Encarter and Rapid Group.

Here is the interesting story of Kennedy Murimi and how he founded Denver Group as told by WoK. 

Background

Kennedy was born in Meru county but raised in different towns across the country because of his father’s nature of work. He is the last born in a family of five children. Of his siblings, he was the most curious and at one point made a unique tin car that made him popular with other children. His journey to the business world started when he was very young. He would plant carrots in their garden and sell the harvest to locals. This entrepreneurial zeal continued after he had sat for his Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination. He started selling fruits in Nyeri under the stewardship of his sister’s friend. 

Education

The Denver Group MD was a student at Kagumo High School. After his O-levels, he joined Kenyatta University (KU) where he graduated with a finance degree. 

Career Path 

In his fourth year at KU, Kennedy landed a job with a real estate company. It is here that he honed his skills in what he does today. Using his salary and savings, he bought half an acre in Narok that was being sold for ksh600,000 and paid a downpayment of Ksh300,000. It was only later that Kennedy and other land buyers were informed that the land they had bought was fraudulently sold to them. This turned out to be the eureka moment for the budding entrepreneur. He vowed to start his own company that would uphold the highest standards of integrity and no land buyer would go through the same experience. 

He told the Standard of this defining moment in his life:

“I bought half an acre of land in Narok County for Sh600,000 in 2014. I paid a deposit of Sh. 300,000 without doing due diligence since I trusted the seller fully. Later, when I decided to fence the property, I was informed that the land was fraudulently sold to me and the person was not the real owner”, he told the publication. 

“I took in the Sh 300,000 loss, and learned that it is important to do thorough due diligence before investing on a property, and also involve stakeholders who understand the investment being made” he added. 

Denver Group Limited

The KU alumni made good his vow and started Denver Group Ltd. Using his savings, he bought parcels of land in Ruiru and opened his office in Kasarani. He acted as the receptionist, driver and marketer because he was not in a position to hire workers. To pay his office rent, Kennedy took up online writing gigs. It took him eight months to sell his first plot. From the proceeds of the sale, he bought one and half acres in Malaa. 

Speaking to the Standard, Kennedy stated that his greatest milestone was setting up Denver Group.

Moving To Kamulu

The 33 year old moved to Kamulu where the headquarters of Denver Group Limited are located. From a small office in Kasarani, the company now occupies an entire floor. They are now dominant players in the real estate business in Kamulu, Joska and Malaa. 

Diaspora Market

Having anchored its business model on transparency and accountability, Denver Group has become one of the most trusted real estate companies by Kenyans living in the diaspora. All their plots have documentation and clients are taken through the legal processes. 

To Learn More about Kennedy Murimi company visit Denver.co.ke.

Mwangi Thuita was a man of many contradictions. Some would come to know him as a charitable man while others as a ruthless adversary. He gave as much as he got and when former Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu eulogized him, he partly said: 

“In fact, I hardly believe that I am here to bury him. I had conceptualized him as immortal….but now he is dead, it serves to remind us that we are all mortals.”

Here is his story as told by WoK. 

The Beginning

Thuita quit formal education in Class Seven, opting to become a trader instead. He hustled like any other man trying to stay afloat and in 1969, relocated to Nairobi from his rural home. After trying a couple of businesses, he settled on being a land broker. By this time, he had  gained political connections which he used to his advantage. 

Embakasi Ranching Company

As his popularity soared, he was elected chairman of the Embakasi Ranching Community. This position earned many rivals who unsuccessfully tried to dethrone him. In 2011, the late former Nairobi Mayor, Dickson Waweru vied for the position and people were sure he would finally lose the chairmanship.  Waweru was shocked to receive court documents saying his campaign was unlawful since Mr. Thuita was to hold office until 2014. 

Sensing his power was on the verge of ending, he began befriending the welfare leaders. Before anyone could notice, the once vibrant welfare was a shell of its former glory. Vocal leaders had switched allegiance to Thuita’s camp. 

Also Read: Oscar Sudi Biography, Age, Family, Education & Source Of Wealth

“I came to realize that Mr.Thuita had designed a formula to be the chairman for life,” said Dickson Waweru. 

He controlled about 40,000 declared acres even as shareholders who wrote to the Ministry of Lands said their property extended to about 100,000 acres. 

Court Cases

A number of court cases were filed against him. In 2017, several officials in the land buying business were murdered forcing him to tighten security around him. He increased his bodyguards to 50.

In January 2018, it seemed he would finally be dispossessed of his position. A delegation to president Uhuru Kenyatta decried the evils that had befallen the ranch. Shareholders had reportedly lost land through double allocation, deletion from the register racket and swapping. The president promised to dismantle the ranch by February 1, 2018 and issue title deeds to all shareholders.

Joseph Njenga told Business Daily that, in front of the public, he seemed to be in agreement with the president but was working against this move behind closed doors. He refused to waive off survey and titling fees as ordered by State House. According to Joseph, he imposed levies that would enable his board to get Sh337 million as a send-off package. 

President intervention

The president also ordered that the technical office handling the disbandment be issued an office in the ranch’s Ruai headquarters. The late chairman said he didn’t have the shareholders register as it had been seized by the anti Corruption Commission in 2012. On 31st May, the president was to give him a three months ultimatum to ensure he cooperates with ministry officials.  Instead, he began looking for a way to hold the yearly general meeting so he could extend his term to 2021. Unfortunately, he passed away quietly on 29th June after leaving a government function. 

According to Nation, he had built himself a bar in Ruai with a single room at the back. It was here that he collapsed and died. 

Apart from the land business, he had other interests including in hospitality.

From title deeds scam to off planning housing scams, homebuyers have shed tears over the loss of their hard-earned money. While real estate companies have been a blessing to many, the vice versa is also true. Over the years, a number of these companies have come under fire for failing to deliver on their promises.

Below are realtors who have been in the news for allegedly scamming homebuyers. While some promised to fix the issues, others went mum. 

Simple Homes 

Founded in October 2015, the real estate firm gained the trust of thousands of Kenyans. They offered a cheaper way of getting homes for people who couldn’t afford exorbitant mortgage fees through their pay rent own home slogan. Their promised tailor made payment plans were also the icing on the cake. For example, those who paid a monthly rent of Sh40,000 were promised a plan that is in line with that amount. All one needed to do was pay a 5% deposit and the rest of the money as if you would pay normal rent. 

Their promises seemed too good to be true and a number of people became weary. Despite the questions, some still went ahead with the investment. 

Things took a drastic turn when a Facebook user questioned their validity. 

“If you booked a property in Nambalee court in Embakasi, a project by Simple Homes, have your passport and visa ready for the site visit which will happen in South Africa,” posted Martin Tairo Maseghe. 

The post led to a social media storm with people discovering most of the firm’s ‘finished project pictures’ were lifted from the internet. It was revealed they had sourced images from other real estate developers in South Africa, Turkey, and USA among other places. 

Later, the company withdrew their presence from the internet and closed their physical address. The case went to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) and in 2020 Nuzrat Shariff, a 31-year-old woman, was arrested as the alleged mastermind of the scam. 

Gakuyo Real Estate 

Gakuyo Real estate has been in operation for over two decades. In 2019, Gakuyo investment club Ekeza Sacco and Gakuyo Real estate were in the headlines after they were accused of conning Kenyans out of millions. Media reports indicated that hundreds of millions of clients’ money were transferred into private accounts of the CEO, Rev David Kariuki Ngari who was working alongside his wife Hannah. Those who had saved through Ekeza Sacco found themselves counting loses and were told to record statements with the DCI. It is said the reverend made out with over Sh1 billion from thousands of clients. 

In 2020, they re-branded and continued with business as usual. 

Diamond Property Merchants 

Diamond Property owned a number of properties and investment projects. This included a Sh2.5 billion low-cost residential unit in Mlolongo. In 2017, they launched a mega agribusiness project on 150 acres of land in Kajiado. Investors were to buy 1/8 an acre where a greenhouse would be constructed. The properties went for Sh450k with a reported additional charge of Sh290,000 for greenhouse construction. They promised to provide farm management, agronomical support and market for farmers’ yields. A year later, investors were crying foul play. 

Diamond Property was in the news again in 2021 over failing to provide buyers with title deeds years down the line. Citizen TV reported that over 500 investors who purchased more than 1000 plots at Konza greens were yet to receive title deeds. According to the RMS station, after doing some digging it was discovered that some directors including Tigania East MP Kabeabea Gichunge had secured a loan through the mother title of the 40 hectares of land to be subdivided. They reached out to the bank trying to come to an agreement and found out the loan had an accrued interest of Sh180 million. Diamond Property Merchants denied these scamming allegations. 

Also Read: Leah Wambui: Receptionist Who Now Owns Multi-Billion Real Estate Company

Suraya 

Pete and Sue Muraya, the directors of Suraya, were that  rich couple. She was the owner of Kenya Fashion Week who made clothes for a number of clients including Kenya Airways while Pete is a professional engineer with various business ventures to his name. 

Suraya was an off-plan developer with a number of properties in its portfolio. They were advertised by various media houses prompting trust among many Kenyans. With this trust, they managed to acquire a huge clientele network. In a Nation Article, some clients gave tales of how they invested millions into the off plan properties and on top of that others have spent money on legal work to try and re-claim money from the real estate developer. A client said how after saving and spending money on an apartment, she got a terrible building with no street lights, no title deed and a swimming pool that would pass for a dirty pond.

In 2019, investors who said they were scammed formed various  social media groups wanting  their money back. 

The DCI said it was following up the case to see whether it was a case of fraud or poor financial planking. 

Dinara Properties 

Dinara Properties founded in 2011 was accused in 2015 for swindling Yufnalis and Roseteller Okuba, the directors of Malcedian Properties limited. Key people linked to Dinara would also be accused in 2020 of failing to deliver on promises through Banda Homes. They sighted the Covid-19 pandemic as the cause for the failure to timely deliver on promises. 

Urithi Housing Sacco 

Founded in 2012, Urithi grew to have a clientele base of over 30,000. They delivered on their projects and were trusted by both banks and clients. 

In 2016, they bought a Sh1 billion property named Panorama Gardens in Murang’a county. Clients bought into the property in doves and the company paid the bank Sh500million out of the Sh1 billion required. The company would fall into turbulent waters and blame an economic slowdown including the 2017 double elections for their predicament. They defaulted on over Sh300 million and even faced a possible auction.

Investors began to worry that they wouldn’t get their money back on this off plan project. 

“My money is in panorama and two Joska properties. These are off plan projects that mean no titles unless all investors work towards clearing the remaining balance. I don’t know how else I can redeem my money,” said one of its investors named Daniel Kamotho. 

The founder Samuel Maina in 2021 asked buyers to be patient as he finds a solution to the troubles.

Kisii is the largest town in South Nyanza region and second largest after Kisumu in the former Nyanza province. The main engine of the economy in the region is agriculture and commerce. 

In the last decade, the town has experienced exponential growth with both low rise and high rise buildings coming up both within and in the town’s outskirts. 

Below are some of the tallest buildings in the town as compiled by WoK: 

Umoja Elimu Complex 

The 10 storey Umoja Elimu Complex was at one point the tallest building in Kisii. The structure houses campuses of some of the top tertiary institutions including Kisii University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology and Kenya Institute of Management. 

Mocha Place 

The building is estimated to be 58.95m high and has 16 floors above the ground and 2 below the ground. It has two elevators, 12 escalators, and 24 parking spaces. Construction of the tower began on 5th November 2013 and ended on February 2015. Estimated construction cost was $2 million. 

The prominent building is situated along Kisii Kisumu road and sits on about 0.8288 acres of land. The building was set to be auctioned on 30th March 2021. An advert placed on a local daily by the auctioneer valued the building at Sh1 billion.  

Also Read: Top Ten Richest People In Kisii County And Their Investments

Blue Towers 

The estimated height of the building is 36.84m. Construction began on 9th June 2015 and ended on November 2017. The building has 10 floors above the ground, and 2 floors below the ground. 

KeMU Kisii Town 

The building is also estimated at 36.84m. Construction work began on 18th July 2013 and ended on September 2015. It has 2 elevators, 7 escalators and 7 parking spaces. 

Kisii University Twin Towers 

The twin towers estimated height is 36.84m. Construction of the building took place between 2nd February 2010 and 13th May 2013. It boasts two elevators, 9 escalators and 8 parking spaces. The towers serve as the main campus for Kisii University. 

Also Read: Nexus Bistro & Lounge Owner: Best Chill Spot In Kisii County

Uhuru Plaza 

Uhuru Plaza’s building estimated height is 29.48m. Construction began on 4th March 2010 and ended on May 2013. It has 8 floors above the ground and three floors below the ground. 

Zonic Hotel 

Zonic Hotel has an estimated height of 25.79m. The building has 7 floors above the ground and 2 floor below the ground. Construction of the building happened between 14th February 2007 and 21st October 2009. 

The hotel features five types of rooms: Standard Single room, Standard double room, Standard twin room, Deluxe double room and suite. It houses an outdoor swimming pool and a restaurant among other amenities.

The famous Tatu City is a Ksh 240 billion investment project that sits on a 5,000 acre piece of land in Ruiru in the outskirts of Nairobi. The city is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) that is a mix of residential houses, a shopping district, entertainment complex and the largest Industrial Park in East Africa. 

In this article, WoK brings you the story of businessman Stephen Mbugua Mwagiru who, together with his family, owned the land where Tatu City sits and were the pioneer partners of the multi-billion project before it changed hands. 

The Mwagiru’s family

The Mwagiru’s family led by businessman Stephen Mbugua Mwagiru, his sister Josephine Mwagiru and his mother Rosemary Wanja owned the Tatu City land through their company Waguthu Holdings (K) Limited. They sold the land to the investors of the city who assembled behind the Company Rendeavour Group. The Mwagirus ceased to be the directors of Waguthu Holdings (now Tatu City Limited) from March 4th 2009 and transferred all their shares, except one, to Cedar IV Limited. Mr. Mwagiru and his mother are minority shareholders in Tatu City and Kofinaf Limited, the two companies that currently own the Tatu city land.

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The Mwagirus Family and Tatu City Court battles

The Mwagirus family through their lawyer Robert Githu have been involved in an endless court battle with the Tatu City limited investors. The family first took to court accusing their foreign partners of colluding with Ministry of Lands officials to fraudulently remove a caveat that had been placed on the land in order to sell part of it. The Mwagirus had placed caveats on nine Tatu City land title deeds on June 10th 2010 forbidding any dealings in the properties to safeguard their interest. 

The caveats were however removed by the Chief Land registrar on May 25th 2012 and the land handed over to Tatu City Limited.  In 2013, the High Court had declined the application by the Magwirus to ask the majority shareholders to buy out the minority shareholders. The court ruled that an independent valuation of the property be conducted in order to determine the true value of each share. Upon completion of the process, Mr Mwagiru and Rosemary Wanja would be paid for the direct one share they each own in Tatu City and Kofinaf limited as part of the exit plan. The Mwagirus had put their shareholding at 14.5 percent and 15.8 per cent of Tatu City and Kofinaf respectively, claims that were disputed by the majority shareholder. 

Also Read: Northlands: Inside the Imposing Kshs 500 Billion City Owned By The Kenyatta Family

Stephen Mbugua Mwagiru Controversies

Mr Mwagiru is not new to controversy. He was expelled from the Muthaiga Country Club by the management for urinating in public and assaulting a worker. According to court documents as reported by the Nairobian, on 26th April 2012, Mwagiru visited Pink restaurant at 12.00 am and ordered food, when he was informed that it had closed he hurled obscenities at an employee. The employee further stated that Mwagiru urinated in the restaurant’s corridor claiming that the toilets were too far. 

He then moved to the members bar and ordered that his bills be transferred there. When he was asked to verify his bills he refused he resorted to intimidating the staff and proceeded to break a kitchen window. The Muthaiga country club met on 31st October 2012 and resolved to expel him from using the club and invited him to resign from the club’s membership. 

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Mwagiru later unsuccessfully went to court to challenge the committee’s decision claiming that the management he wasn’t given a fair hearing and that the management had met without informing him. In an affidavit, he stated that he had been a member of Muthaiga Club following admission in 2004 and paying an entrance fee of Ksh 90,825. He however lost the court case and has since then been prohibited from getting into Muthaiga country club.