Land property ownership in Nairobi and Kenya at large has been made easier through private companies’ efforts to offer affordable plots in Nairobi.

At its core, Username Investments exists to provide the current and upcoming generation with a place they can call home. The company was co-founded in 2013 by three directors – Reuben Kimani, Chief Executive Officer, Julius Karanja, Head of Finance and Customer Experience and Joseph Gitonga, Head of Sales and Marketing.

Starting off with 42 plots in Konza, the journey was full of determination and perseverance with an aim of changing how the real estate sector was operating. Their driving force was to have a sector that incorporates the low and middle income earners. This saw the beginning of a real estate company that has redefined land property ownership in Kenya by offering projects with over 1,000 plots and issuing title deeds to over 5,500 clients.

With over five years in operation, Username Investments prides itself in having opened up investment opportunities to young people who move to urban areas in search of employment, and they end up experiencing prolonged renting periods.

When the company started operation, most properties offered in the market were worth over a million shilling and thus unaffordable to many people. However, Username Investments offers properties with prices between Kshs 199,000 – Kshs 430,000 in favour of Kenyans with incomes between Kshs 30,000 – Kshs 100,000.

The land property prices are inclusive of title processing fees with no hidden charges. The title deeds are delivered with six to ten months upon completion of payment. With a title deed, investors can develop their properties or sell it to someone else in future.

Headquartered at 4th Floor, Le’Marc Plaza ,Wetlands, Username Investments prides itself in having created employment to over 50 employees directly and over 500 indirectly including suppliers, contractors, lawyers and surveyors.

It also has a branch at the International Life House, 6th Floor along Mama Ngina Street.

The Chief Executive Officer, Reuben Kimani, is a thought leader in the real estate industry where he provides insights on matters related to land property ownership in Kenya through a YouTube Channel dubbed Real Estate in Kenya with Reuben Kimani.

Changing the real estate landscape

The desire to change the real estate landscape has seen Username Investments offer serviced land that is ready for immediate development. This is done through value additions in all properties including putting up a perimeter fence, estate gate, grading the access roads and installing water and electricity.

The Company is also driven by the commitment to make life easier for customers, employees, suppliers and investors. This has seen it launch a new website that allows clients to book a plot(s), make payment, and book for site visits online.

Furthermore, Username Investments has broadened the customer base from local to abroad by reaching out to Kenyans living in the diaspora with affordable investments opportunities back home. The company organizes tours to the diaspora in a bid to reach out to Kenyans living there with opportunities to invest directly in their home country in a more secure manner with a guarantee of receiving title deeds at the end of their investment.

This year, the company has visited Kenyans living and working in the United Kingdom and the United States of America where over 500 are now proud land property owners.

Projects

So far, Username Investments has done projects in diverse counties including Kajiado, Machakos and Nakuru, as a way of reaching out to every young person at county level with strategic, value-added and affordable properties.

The company has conceptualized and completed over 28 projects located in Ngong, Lekishon, Ipolosat, Bisil, Tinga, Nakuru, Naivasha, Konza, Athi River and Kangundo Road. Majority of the projects have been sold out and the company has formed a client base of over 6,000 clients.

The properties have free site visits every Wednesday and Saturday where investors can view their properties before the actual purchase as part of the due diligence process. The company lawyer also gives free legal advice to clients on all matters around land investment to enable them make an informed decision when purchasing a property and filling in the legal documents in the land transfer process that include Offer Letters, Sale Agreements and Title Transfer Form.

As a way of reaching out to every potential investor, Username Investments launched Woodcrest Estate – Athi River, a ready to build gated community project in a countryside setting with the convenience of an urban lifestyle. The project is located approximately 27km from Nairobi and 5km from the Nairobi- Mombasa highway along Mutungoni road.

The project is 14kms from the Syokimau railways Station and 18kms from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Value additions on the project include: a perimeter fence, estate gate, graded access roads, water and electricity. The cash price is Kshs 1,495,000 payable in 3 months and an installment option of up to 6 months is also available.

Athi River Town has grown rapidly due to a number of factors including improved infrastructural development with the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) train station, industrial activities, Export Processing Zone (EPZ) and a number of factories in the cement and construction industry. The town also enjoys direct rail connection with both Nairobi and Mombasa. This makes the area a perfect place for investors to consider investing in residential and commercial buildings.

Other ongoing projects include:

1.Graceland – Kangundo Road located at Kamulu-KBC Centre (Malaa) and 5.5km off Kangundo road. The anticipated construction of the greater Eastern bypass in the neighborhood will further open the area soon

2.Springfield – Nakuru Phase III – This project is 20 minutes’ drive from Nakuru town. It is strategically located 24km from Nakuru town along the Nakuru-Eldoret highway next to Phase I&II of the projects. The distance from the tarmac is 1Km.

3.The Vantage – Naivasha – This project is conveniently located 11km from Naivasha town along Naivasha – Mai Mahiu – Nairobi road and only 75km from Nairobi.

4.Tinga Suburbs – This is a carefully selected low-cost high-return project. The project sits next to Tinga town and exactly 100 metres from Nairobi- Magadi tarmac road.

5.Selim Plains – Konza– This is an ideal investment opportunity in the outskirts of Konza City along the greater southern bypass. This strategic project provides close proximity to Konza.

Accolades

Username Investment Ltd has been recognized by key players in the industry and won many accolades including:

  • The 2018 Top 100 Mid-sized Companies Award by KPMG and Daily Nation.
  • The 2018 Best Land and Investment Company at the 26th Kenya Homes Expo, the biggest Homes Show in East and Central Africa.
  • The 2018 Best New Entrant in the 2018 Customer Service Innovation Awards organized by The Institute of Customer Experience in October 2018.
  • The Best Land Agency in the use of Digital Solutionsto Enhance Customer Experience in September 2018.
  • The 2018 Best Land Agent in Value-added plots in November 2018
  • The 2018 Land Agent of the Year in November 2018
  • Reuben Kimani, CEO, Username Investment Ltd, was awarded The JKUAT Alumni Achievement Award at The 2018 JKUAT Alumni Convocation. The award recognizes the achievements made by alumni post-graduation.
  • Reuben Kimani, CEO, Username Investment Ltd. was awarded the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Kenya Professional Realtors Association.

Recent events

Username Investments holds several Title Issuance Ceremonies in a year to bring investors together and award them for investing with the company. The recent ceremony was held in Sobea, Nakuru where over 500 clients who invested in The Hamptons- Nakuru Phase I & II received their title deeds. This was the first ever Title Issuance Ceremony to be held in the County.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mr. Kimani said that issuance of title deeds to Nakuru clients is a key milestone towards providing affordable land at the county level in line with the company’s mission to reach out to the current and upcoming generations. 

He mentioned that the company is targeting every young person aged between 20 – 40 years in all counties with affordable land within their incomes and ensure they settle in their own homes.

Road ahead

Putting in mind vision 2030 that aims at creating a globally competitive and prosperous nation with high quality of life, we have begun our expansion to counties and we will be opening our Nakuru Office in December 2018. We intend to have a presence in every county as we offer strategic, affordable and value-added properties to all Kenyans.

As part of our expansion strategy, plans are also underway to construct affordable residential developments for our investors who prefer purchasing an already built house.

Username Investment journey on helping Kenyans own land property was feature on Destin Africa Magazine