Why women are becoming Kenya's new land buyers

Women are becoming an increasingly important market for Kenya's property industry as more young investors buy land to build financial security and accumulate assets they can control, The Standard reports.

The shift is changing the profile of land buyers and creating demand for property products that accommodate investors with limited incomes but a willingness to build wealth gradually. Industry players say it also opens opportunities for developers, estate agencies, lenders and savings cooperatives to design products that respond to women's financing needs.

At Unique Investors Property (UIP), women account for more than 80 per cent of the 8,000 investors who have bought land through the company over the past decade, according to Chief Executive Officer Patrick Malika. He noted that less than two per cent of land titles in the country are held by women, reflecting customary practices in a patriarchal society.

Malika said women who lack title deeds often cannot use property as collateral to finance businesses or other investments, while valuation and borrowing costs can make smaller parcels difficult to leverage. UIP supports a Real Estate Investors Savings and Credit Cooperative Society (SACCO) through which members can save from Sh2,000 a month and, after six months, borrow up to three times their savings with title deeds as security.

Among the young women entering the market is Eva Njeru, who recently paid Sh50,000 towards a Sh250,000 plot in Mountain View, Kajiado County. She said buying land is a way of gaining control over an asset in a society where inheritance has often favoured sons.

Industry observers say the growing participation of women represents both a new market and a financing challenge. Companies and financial institutions that make property investment more accessible could tap a wider pool of investors seeking to build wealth through land.