Investor: Cottages best decision ever
Mr Boaz Adhengo, a Westlands resident, saw a gap in the accommodation of foreigners who visit the countryside and ran away with it.
He now makes as much as Sh50,000 in a week by renting out cottages.
Mr Adhengo said he realised that the high cost of accommodation in city hotels was a concern to visitors. It was particularly a headache because they had to factor in the cost of transport, which often required expensive all weather vehicles.
Some of the visitors, he added, were also looking out for a homely experience during their stay in the country.
Armed with such knowledge, he used Sh3 million to buy land and build two cottages in the neighbouring Kajiado county and he said he has never regretted the investment ever since.
Influencing
“I opted for Kajiado because land was cheap compared to Nairobi and it is also a favourite for foreigners involved in humanitarian work,” he said.
“That I also knew the area very well also played part in influencing my choice,” he added.
But it was not a smooth ride for Mr Adhengo. During his construction, and even afterwards he encountered challenges which nearly saw his investment go down the drain.
Being a Nairobian, residents viewed him with envy and even some degree of suspicion. Some youths extorted him for using the roads to transport materials to his land.
There were also times when building work was stopped because the residents were demanding to be employed in spite of lacking construction knowledge.
Another group, envious of the few beneficiaries of the development projects by his foreign visitors, demolished the fence to his property and even assaulted him.
He has since reported the incident to Isinya police for investigation.
His ill treatment has however not dampened his resolve to continue investing in the cottages.
Since his first visitors in 2012, he has accommodated several groups. The best thing about his investment , he said was that he did not need to use money in marketing.
Satisfied visitors usually referred other groups interested in working in the area.
That way, he said, the cottages were rarely unoccupied throughout the year.