How Membley rose from Kahawa Sukari spillover

Job Kimani, a real estate agent at Zani Property Limited, says demand remains strong even as land becomes scarce.

“The demand for property in Membley is very high. People continuously ask for plots,” he explains.

He notes that the estate is broadly divided into sections based on the size of the original parcels—50 by 100, 100 by 100, and 40 by 80 feet—reflecting the different companies that sold land in the area.

“When you come from Kahawa West, there is the Membley on your left, the likes of Serengeti and Sweet Waters; those are the 50 by 100 parcels, which sell from Sh7.5 million upwards,” Kimani says.

“Larger 100 by 100 plots command premiums of Sh13.5 million to Sh15 million in areas such as Pavilion, Forest Road and Jerusalem, while roadside parcels set aside for commercial use start at Sh35 million. At the smaller end, 40-by-80 plots around Milimani Court and Riverside average Sh6.5 million.”

For early buyers like Miriam Mukami, who purchased her plot 15 years ago for about Sh500,000, the appreciation has been remarkable.

“What attracted me to Membley was that I was looking for a good place where I could put up my residential home and a place that was affordable and controlled,” she recalls.

At the time, the estate was sparsely populated, with poor roads and limited security.

“When I first came here, the place did not look as attractive as it is today. You had to see potential because it looked far off, the access roads were very bad , residents very few, and there were many security challenges,” she says.

Today, she notes, “As many people have constructed and the roads have become apparent, you find that now you’re using only one gate to access your place, as opposed to the many access points we had back in the day. That tells you all those empty plots have now been occupied or construction is going on.”

Job traces part of Membley’s growth to its location and its relationship with the older Kahawa Sukari neighbourhood.

“Membley is an overflow of Kahawa Sukari. There was a time when Kahawa Sukari was the top estate on Thika Road, but when it was full, people started gravitating to Membley,” he says.

Improved road networks have made commuting easier and attracted businesses to serve the growing population.

“The proximity is the major factor that has made Membley grow. You can easily go to Thika, Mombasa Road, Kiambu; it’s not a hustle,” Job adds.

One of Membley’s distinctive features is the proliferation of small gated courts. Groups of buyers often engage a single developer, creating semi-private enclaves that balance individuality with shared security.

Miriam notes that growth has also forced residents to organise, pointing to the Membley Residential Association, which coordinates security, roads, hygiene and development.

“As you have many more residents coming, then you find that you are now able to organise yourselves to do roads, to ensure that there’s good hygiene within the estate, and that keeps the property in good value and also increases its value,” she says.

The construction boom has spurred business opportunities.

Lavin Munene, owner of Supperfinish and General Suppliers, moved to Membley in 2016 to open an electrical supplies shop.

“I did my market research and didn’t see any electrical shop around. That’s why I ventured into electrical and petrol station items,” he recalls.

As roads improved and more residents moved in, sales grew. Lavin rents his shop for Sh25,000 a month.

Hardware stores remain the most common businesses, reflecting the estate’s ongoing building activity. Rental demand has also expanded, with one-bedroom units fetching at least Sh18,000 per month.

High-rise apartments now dot the estate, signalling a shift toward denser living as land becomes scarce. While bare parcels remain—often held by families or diaspora investors—the supply is shrinking.

Job points out that completed houses are also entering the market, particularly on smaller plots, with asking prices around Sh30 million.

For early homeowners such as Miriam, the challenge moving forward will be ensuring that increasing density does not erode the qualities that initially attracted residents.

“As you get many more people renting the place, you just want to be careful that the integrity of the core values of the initial owners is well maintained,” she says.

Short-term rentals such as Airbnb have appeared in parts of the estate, though she notes they have not yet raised any concerns for the residents.

“From time to time you have people running Airbnbs within the estate, and sometimes that may bring a different cadre of people, and that may also come with a bit of disturbances here, a party here and there, but so far so good, that has not been a big issue,” she says.

For her, the investment has paid off. “The place has lived up to its potential. I’m grateful that I made that decision to invest then as opposed to waiting or even being elsewhere,” she says.

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