Tatu City has defied years of court cases to roar back to life.
Theirs is a story of dedication, diligently working towards a dream; to make a city where more than 150,000 people can live, work and play.
“A number of roads are already tarmacked, with 120 kilometres expected to be paved once the projects are complete,” said Shazeen Rahemtulla, the marketing manager.
Its approach to property development, when complete, will infuse living in an environment that is free from traffic congestion and long-distance commute whether to work or school. It is expected that 16,500 housing units will be built, which will include affordable houses, town houses, mid-range and upper middle income units will be built in the property.
Those interested in constructing their own houses can buy serviced plots of land in Kijani Ridge at either a quarter acre or half an acre.
home owners at Kijani are encouraged to use pre-determined housing plans which are of the standard set by Tatu, or else come with own plans that must meet the set standards.
The property development plan also involves the zoning off of green areas that preserve the water, forested areas and a particular Mugumo Tree point that will serve as a location of interest. Local folklore has it that Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta, on his way to his rural Gatundu home, would regularly stop at the spot where the Mugumo tree stands as a way to honour or maybe consult higher powers, which were believed to inhabit the Mugumo tree, among the Agikuyu people.
Some factories like Dormans Coffee are fully operational, having set up their global headquarters there. Grade A warehousing is coming up with Africa Logistics setting up a facility which they will lease to businesses. Unilever and Chandaria are among popular local brands who have bought land there.
Schools are already open, the latest being Crawford International School that opened this January. The institution, which will hold up to 1700 students, prides itself as meeting the needs of parents who are looking for high quality global oriented education for their children.
Crawford’s global education offering will include flexible, individualised timetabling which allows students to choose a wide range of subjects, including studies such as cryptocurrencies and blockchain education in technology. Science, technology, engineering and maths education is conducted through the renowned GO-Lab programme, with integrated interdisciplinary project-based leaning.
The Nova Pioneer Schools are running on the Kenyan curriculum and a privately owned. The primary school has been openn since 2017, while Nova Pioneer Girls’ Secondary and Nova Pioneer Boys’ School are boarding schools. Ngewa and Tatu Primary are publicly run schools, with a variety of out of class activities offered to children. This writer met the children in a cricket training session in the afternoon.
“We now want a tertiary institution to show interest in setting up its facilities here. It may be a local college or university. International institutions are welcome too,” said Shazeen, adding that a tertiary facility will complete the quest for an all round education need.
However there is Tatu City training academy, that has so far churned out 120 graduates in the year since it started admitting locals for the six-week accredited course with skills in masonry led by training partner skills.
The academy trains students in masonry, plasterwork, electrical, plumbing, painting, tiling and carpentry after which the graduates are absorbed into construction jobs provided by contractors. Some 80 of the graduates are working with companies that are within Tatu while the rest ventured out elsewhere.