Re-imagining Home Ownership Communal Living in Kenya
In Kenya, home ownership has long been associated with owning a piece of land and constructing one’s own house. It’s a deeply ingrained cultural aspiration that building your own house within your own separate, or rather private compound symbolizes not just success but the ultimate achievement of permanence in life. Many Kenyans view renting homes or living in apartments as a short-term solution, something you do until you have the money to construct your own house. But as things really turn out, the idea of building that dream home often stays just that—a dream. When combined with the hardship of accumulating the necessary financial resources to build one’s own house, the pressure to keep up with peers who have succeeded in building their homes can have a negative impact on mental health and even send people into hopelessness and, consequently, depression.
It is no wonder that the housing projects initiated by the government have faced their share of backlash. The prevailing perception among Kenyans is that apartments and communal living are not a permanent way of life, which can lead to scepticism and resistance when the government promotes these housing solutions. Such projects highlight the importance of a broader adjustment in mentality in order to accept communal living as a feasible and permanent choice. In what follows, we look at the rising paradigm change in Kenya’s housing environment, where collective ownership, or sectional properties, challenges the traditional idea of homeownership and offers a more sustainable and achievable alternative.
What are Sectional Properties?
Sectional properties, also known as sectional titles, constitute a modern housing model that is gaining popularity in Kenya since the legislation of the Sectional Properties Act in 2020. Individuals can now own and have exclusive rights to particular sections or units within a larger development with two or more units. Multi-unit developments can include apartment buildings, gated communities, or even townhouse complexes. In this situation, rather than holding a title deed to a plot of land, you own a sectional title deed to a housing unit, which can be sold in the same way that land can. While this type of homeownership may be unfamiliar to some, it provides a number of advantages that challenge the traditional idea of what it means to own a home in Kenya. Here are the defining aspects of sectional properties that you should be aware of:
- Exclusive Ownership
Sectional property ownership, like traditional homeownership, allows individuals to have full control over their respective units. This means you have the freedom to paint, furnish, and alter your unit to your own personal taste. What distinguishes sectional properties is that, in addition to your own private space, you share some common spaces and facilities with other owners in the same complex.
- Rights & Responsibilities
The Sectional Properties Act in Kenya establishes the rights and obligations of sectional property owners in order to maintain the smooth operation of these shared spaces and the harmonious cohabitation of residents. This legal framework clarifies individual property rights, protects property values, and encourages cooperative living. In essence, it provides a systematic framework for properly managing and governing these shared living environments.
- Shared Common Areas
The presence of shared common areas is one of the distinctive aspects of sectional properties. These may contain, among other things, halls, gardens, swimming pools, security facilities, parking lots, and recreational areas. These areas are collectively maintained and administered by the homeowners’ association or body corporate, which is normally formed to handle the development’s administration and maintenance. This method ensures that all inhabitants contribute equitably to the maintenance of these shared resources and that disputes over common spaces may be addressed in an organized and open manner.
- Transparent and Sustainable Management
Prior to the adoption of the Sectional Properties Act in Kenya, there was no particular law that adequately governed ownership of sectional building units. The Act was enacted to bring openness, clarity, and enforced regulations to sectional property ownership and management in Kenya. This framework is required to protect owners’ rights, promote peaceful living within multi-unit developments, and assure the long-term management of shared resources.
Weighing the Options: Communal Living vs Standalone Homes
In Kenya, developing an independent home has historically been the ultimate dream. The rise of communal living, particularly in sectional properties, has prompted a fascinating debate. It is not only where you live, but also how you live. Let’s take a quick overview of the benefits and drawbacks to help you decide whether to park in the communal space or stand alone in solitude.
- Quality of Life
Communal Living :
Picture an active community where your neighbors are simply a knock away. Communal living offers you a vibrant social life literally next to your door, with friends and social activities. You can host birthday parties, movie nights, or simply have a casual talk on the rooftop.
Standalone Home:
If you want peace and quiet, independent homes offer the most seclusion. It’s your kingdom, and you have complete control over it, with no shared walls or common spaces. Want to throw a solo dance party in your pajamas? No worries. Standalone dwellings allow you to live life on your own terms, away from stalking eyes.
- Bringing Up Children
Communal Living:
Communal living can be an excellent way to raise a family. Your children will have pals just next door thanks to available social networks, making playtime effortless. Shared places, such as playgrounds and common rooms, allow your children to socialize, and develop speech, and psychomotor skills more quickly. You may find yourself in a nice neighbourhood with other parents, promoting a sense of community and support for child development.
Standalone Home:
Standalone homes provide the benefit of additional room and seclusion. You won’t have to worry about shared walls or noise complaints if your kids have their own world in the backyard. Creating a feeling of community, on the other hand, could take some extra work, and playtime may require a bit more planning.
- Environmental Impact and Land Use
Communal Living:
Communities can lower their environmental effect per person by supporting shared resources, such as carpooling. Recycling of waste as well as utilizing public transportation are a couple of environmental-friendly practices promoted by communal living. Furthermore, communities reduce urban encroachment and habitat loss when there is a higher construction density, which makes the best use of available land. Arable land is left for agricultural purposes hence increasing food supply and improving food security. Also, groceries and food markets emerged nearby to cater to the population in the community.
Standalone Home:
Private dwellings can contribute to urban sprawl, habitat loss, and increased resource utilization. Each home usually takes up more land, resulting in land fragmentation and degradation. Personal gardens and facilities frequently consume more land than communal ones, negatively impacting the environment. This wasteful land use leads to habitat loss and destruction of the environment. Green land is wasted in personal luxuries hence reducing the area of land under cultivation and consequently, food production. In standalone homes, people might have to walk for long distances to the markets in order to fetch for groceries and other foodstuffs.
- Infrastructure and Amenities
Communal Living:
Residents benefit from affordable options as well as convenient access to services and amenities. Shared resources like swimming pools, gyms, parks, modern libraries, and effective transport options are beneficial to the residents of these communities. Resources like gas, electricity, water, and internet access are well controlled which leads to reliability and generally lower expenses.
Standalone Home:
Independent residences could be more expensive and might not necessarily offer the same access to excellent amenities and infrastructure since the financial burden for all the amenities lie entirely on the owner. Due to their possible location in places with limited choices, residents in these settings may encounter difficulties using public transportation. Additionally, standalone residences might not have as effective management of utilities like gas, electricity, water, and internet connection, which could lead to service outages or increased prices for inhabitants.
- Social Cohesion
Communal Living:
When you live in a community setting, your neighbors become your extended family. Thanks to common areas and neighborhood activities, you may interact, laugh, and spend memorable times with other neighbors. In this vibrant paradise, everyone knows one other’s names, their pets, and their Sunday playlist. In shared living, you never know who might be chatting by the pool or enjoying the garden fire. Be welcoming since in these communal corners, your next hello could be the gateway to your next big opportunity
Standalone Living:
It’s a little more independent in standalone homes, with neighbors far away. Maybe you’ll end up cooking by yourself, but at least you’ll have all the meals to yourself!
Generally, living in a community is similar to being a member of a harmoniously functioning team where everyone gets along. You have the flexibility to adjust, the amenities are nearby hence making the costs reasonable, and the security is good. It makes life simple and cool, like being in a well-rehearsed play where everyone knows their part. Conversely, standalone residences place you as the lone focus. Everything is under your control, including day-to-day duties and security and expense management. It’s like being a one-person band in a one-person show, where all eyes are on you.
Kenya, after all, is a fascinating patchwork of diverse tribes, and people frequently seek out their fellow tribesmen for company. You can bet your last shilling that in such community housing, people will strive to locate their tribesmen among the mix of neighbors to build their inner circle. Second names? They are like tribal GPS guide that helps people navigate through the friend-finding adventure. So, why not make it a fun guessing game? You could possibly find yourself sharing chai with a Kikuyu named Oloo or a Luo named Kimani! It’s the ultimate tribe-blind gathering, where anyone is invited!