Vipingo City takes shape after Centum hands over houses
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi (right), Centum Group Chief Executive officer James Mworia (centre) and Dr Bitange Ndemo during the official opening of the Sh1.3bn Awali Estate in Vipingo on October 11, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Next to Awali Estate, Centum is building Palm Ridge estate’s 440 units of affordable apartments, to be completed in the first quarter of 2021.
- The governor said the development of 10,254 acres Vipingo City by Centum has also attracted other investors in the county.
Centum Investment Company has handed over new houses to 74 owners in Vipingo in Kilifi County.
The elegantly-designed Awali Estate valued at Sh1.2 billion boasts modern amenities including beautifully manicured gardens, a swimming pool, children’s playing zones, jogging tracks, card access control and reliable water supply.
As he handed the housing units that cost between Sh13 million to Sh17 million on Saturday, Centum CEO James Mworia said: “Currently, 440 units at Palm Ridge which are still under construction, have all been sold out, we expect to begin handing them over from February and March next year.”
Dr Mworia said Vipingo City shall also have an industrial, commercial, hospitality facilities.
Mr Kenneth Mbae, the managing director of Vipingo Development Ltd, a subsidiary company of Centum Investment that is developing Vipingo City said they are constructing a water desalination plant with a capacity of producing 3 million liters per day.
Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi said the investment started after a Kilifi Trade Fair at Pwani University in 2016.
“To achieve President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big Four agenda on affordable housing, we decided to partner with investors to put up these houses,” Mr Kingi said on Saturday.
He added: “Ours is to implement policies and provide an enabling environment to ensure that the provision of affordable houses becomes a reality.”
The governor said the development of 10,254 acres Vipingo City has attracted other investors to the county.
“As soon as we approved the housing project, we have had a number of investors coming to Kilifi because they have confidence in what Centum is doing,” he said.
He said the development of Vipingo City will open up Kilifi and North Coast region to other parts of Kenya. The governor said that plans are underway to put up a health facilities and five star hotels in Kikambala.
Mr Kingi said the development of Vipingo City has made the value of land to increase. This, he said, is good for the economy.
“Before this project, you could get an acre of land at Sh10 million but today you will need about to Sh15 million the same size of land and the value keeps on increasing,” he added.
Principal Secretary State Department for Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga said Centum had continued to raise the bar on the provision of affordable housing.
