Choosing your type of roof

The following factors determine the type of roof chosen:

Loads

This refers to the weights likely to be supported by the roof. These include people, snow, water tanks, or even roof gardens and other uses. This might mean using a slab or flat roofs (it

Some major work is quietly going on along the Southern Bypass, an important link between Mombasa and Nakuru highways.

A few facts

-         Length – 29 km

-         Cost – Ksh. 17.2 billion

-         Main contractor – China Road and Bridge Corp (did the northern bypass too)

-         Financiers – Exxim bank of China, and Kenya government

-         Construction period – 30-36 months

-         Commissioned in November 2011

The route is as follows;

The southern bypass exits Mombasa road near Ole Sereni hotel and touches the Nairobi national park going on to Lang’ata road. It then continues through Kibera and Ngong’ forest before joining Ngong road.

From Ngong road, the road continues through to Dagoretti road before going on to join Thogoto-Mutarakwa road. From here, you can choose to join Nakuru highway through Limuru, or drive on through Kikuyu to the highway.

The junction between Thogoto-Mutarakwa Road and the Southern Bypass.

What’s happening now on the southern bypass?

The busiest section in, terms of construction, is between Ngong’ road and Dagoretti road (near Dagoretti market). Major concrete works at the junction with Ngong road are evident. An overpass (or bridge) is to be done ensuring smooth flow of traffic on both roads.

Some excavation too is coming up on the Dagoretti side. The contractor has already set up a yard and blocked this side of the southern bypass. Another overpass will be put up here too, over Dagoretti road.

A bridge is also under construction within the section.

A section near Alliance High School at Kikuyu has been cleared; the eucalyptus trees planted a short while back all cut down. This section consists of Undiri swamp, a large wetland that supports a huge ecosystem. A bridge is also expected over this area.

Challenges

Insecurity

You would be unwise to use the southern bypass between dusk and dawn. Passing through large secluded areas, Ngong’ Forest, Kibera, the national park…you get the drift. There have been cases of carjacking, and even the DPPs car has been a target. I did notice however that police are patrolling the road, but you do need to exercise care. It’s however pretty good during the day and does save one quite a bit of time.

Environmentalists

The friends of nature have put up a spirited fight to stop the road passing through the park. I however do not think that it’ll have a major negative effect (I am a nature lover too, but also a lover of all engineering…stuff). Placing a buffer zone between the park and road will minimize, to some extent, any wildlife-road conflict.

NEMA conditions also need to be maintained. This is important and especially in the wetland area to ensure minimal negative impact on this ecosystem.

Dust

This was really bad especially between Mombasa road and Lang’ata roads. At some point, you needed to drive with your lights on, so some dude overtaking a slow vehicle could see you or vice versa…and also so you could see where you’re going!

Hats off to the project…

I love this road, this bypass. I find that I can easily access the Jomo Kenyatta airport and other areas on Mombasa road without much hustle. In addition, Dagoretti market can at times be maddeningly busy, with matatu drivers misbehaving, cows on the road being led to the many abattoirs there…the bypass offers an excellent solution.

Trucks that hold up traffic through town have an alternative route, being the major target users of this road. So now, they need not enter town, unless that’s their destination.

Barring major holdups, the Southern Bypass should be commissioned in February 2015.

Unless you’ve been away, you’ll know that the interest rates have been quite high, forcing most developers to postpone new developments.

Now banks are lending for as low as 15% on mortgages. And it’s back to business.

Gated communities and resort towns in Kenya

The property industry is always evolving to satisfy new demand…or create it. As opulence grows among the middle class, so too do the tastes change. And it’s not just about owning homes, but a lifestyle as well.

New communities offering a mix of work and play as well as exclusivity are coming up away from the traditional areas due to sky-high land prices.

Nairobi is now attractive mainly to the commercial developer. The gated communities and resort cities are now in areas once considered getaways or weekend escapes, far away from the bustle of town.

by he48

Why the growing trend?

Some reasons include;

-          The rich, who are mainly the target for this development, are viewed as recession proof. They demand certain levels of class and are able to pay for it despite economic trends.

-          Land prices around Nairobi, once considered the hotcake in property development are too high. Other areas are therefore becoming more attractive for developers.

-          Gated communities and resort towns offer security and exclusivity for tenants or buyers.

-          The projected wealth increase due to discovery of mineral resources in Kenya. Developers are positioning themselves to take full gain from this.

-          The promise of serenity and clean environment.

-          High returns that have been witnessed in Kenya’s property market.

The communities are named depending on what concept they’re based on including;

-          Technology – like Konza ICT Park. This is a government project aimed at bringing a silicon valley to Kenya. It is to be the center of business process outsourcing and software development in Kenya.

-          Sports and luxury – it’s almost impossible to separate the two. Most of these gated communities and resort towns incorporate complete golf courses, modern gyms and health spas, running tracks and so forth.

Examples include Longonot Golf City (Naivasha), Vipingo Ridge (Rea Vipingo), Thika Greens (Thika), Sergoit Golf City (Eldoret), Tatu City (Kiambu) among others.

-          Wildlife or as tourist resorts – e.g. Longonot Golf City.

It remains to be seen if the trend will hold up and if investors will profit from their developments. Factors such as national stability especially as we approach elections will greatly influence this.

Others like interest rates and adherence to the rule of law will also impact on the attractiveness and uptake of the gated communities and resort towns concept, by local and international investors.

• Wide availability
• Easy to use, and requires little specialised control
• Offers a strong barrier as a wall, to environmental elements or human efforts
• Longevity of the structure
• Good fire resistance qualities
• Building stone also offers good versatility due to varying sizes, colours and weights.
• Good compressive strength or good ability to resist crushing when heavily loaded.

Types of building stone in Kenya

There are various ways of classifying building stone. These include;

• Colour  – the most common stone colours are blue, yellow, grey and red
• Size – these are 4” (100mm), 6” (150mm) and 9” (200mm)
• Strength – some building stone is not suitable as load-bearing; that is, it is weak and may crumble if heavily loaded.
• Location of origin – though not as important in terms of property, developers do refer to building stone in terms of area of origin, e.g., the Juja stone, Thika stone and so forth.

photo by Jsome1

Using the building stone

Building stone can be utilised in buildings in two ways,

As load bearing

This means that loads from the floors and roof are transmitted to the foundation through the stone walls. In this kind of design, good stone in terms of strength is used.

The stone chosen will have high compressive strength and is compact helping it resist moisture and other elements. In large structures, or those having heavy loads, laboratory testing of the building stone is done to confirm its strength.

Non-load bearing 

The quality of stone used is lower as loads are transmitted to the foundation through other elements, like beams and columns.

In using the building stone, a foundation, usually made of concrete is utilised. This is because building stone walls are heavy and will settle (‘sink’) if not properly founded.

The stone structure is also further strengthened by ‘tying’, that is, holding the stones together. This is done by using ring beams, columns or piers, and reinforcement along with the mortar as building stone is quite weak under tensile forces (forces that tend to stretch or pull apart).

Limitations of using the building stone as construction materials in Kenya

• While individual units of the building stone may be affordable, transport costs make using the building stones really expensive.
• A lot of labour is also required, from the quarry, loading, and in dressing the stones. All these factors contribute in raising costs.
• The need for a concrete foundation and strengthening elements like columns and piers places a limit also on finances.
• In building your house using this material, specialised skill is required. Stone builders or masons ensure that the building is done correctly and help enhance the aesthetic appeal.

Currently, there are efforts to introduce new technologies in the building market to reduce reliance on the stone as the primary building element.

However, the building stone remains among the most common construction materials in Kenya especially in urban centres of the country.

Personally, I tried to secure one, but was forced to shelve the plans when I was told that the lending interest was 23%!

And I know of some developers who’ve also decided to halt the next phase of their housing project until lending rates drop.

Good news for mortgage takers?

There is some hope, it may seem, for those seeking to secure a mortgage; mortgage brokers. Basically, the mortgage broker links you, the client, to the best lender. The broker finds out the different rates offered by available lenders and offers you the different alternatives.

Unlike in most cases where brokers cause an increase in prices (and we hate them too), mortgage brokers actually help you access cheaper mortgages.

And they also do the dirty work for you, which is, shopping around for the best deal, and negotiating on behalf of their client. Time taken through the entire process to acquiring the funding is also much reduced.

However, in the Kenyan market, mortgage brokers are keen to net the high net worth buyer or the corporate borrowers. Mortgage uptake is low in the country, and the brokers may initially have more success with repeat borrowers.

Paying the mortgage broker

According to Caroline Kariuki, TMC Africa’s managing director, the broker charges 1% of the value of the mortgage.

Different brokers charge differently, and try to reduce the cost on the client to attract and retain more of them.

Way forward

Mortgage brokers hope to unlock the huge potential of mortgage financing in Kenya. They hope to create awareness among Kenyans through seminars among other methods.

They also hope to assist in getting suitable products for those getting informal incomes, such as consultants, SMEs and so forth.

There is also the likelihood of mortgage lenders reducing lending rates as competition for products rises due to the presence of the mortgage brokers.