Due to recent Kenyan legislation, the words "Riparian Land" have been buzzing in East Africa and World news lately. With the focus especially on the Kenyan circuit, many locals and tourists alike have lots of questions on this topic especially with the recent bull-run investment in the Riparian Land of Kenya. Should you join or sit on the sidelines? Tripindigo will attempt to give you more insight into this newsworthy topic to help you make that decision.
If you are planning to travel to Kenya, one thing you cannot miss is Riparian land. This location has become an investment area recently for real estate investors as well as for travellers who want to enjoy the beauty of the environment. The word Riparian comes from the Latin word Ripa which means riverbank.
These are areas of the country that are near to a riverbank and they are being snatched up very quickly for real estate development. One key part of that though is that this area is a very delicate environmental location with many animals as well as delicate ecosystems that must be maintained. Because of the grab on land that has happened in the past few years, there are many forms of regulation that exist now that did not in the past. Now in Kenya, it is required that any construction happens about 30 meters away from a bank or a river stream.
Why is Riparian Real Estate So Valuable?
There is a huge demand for riparian real estate because of the closeness to a water source. There have been many companies for the past few years buying the land very cheaply. There has been a structure of legislation put in place to make sure that there is a certain distance on all sides. Experts are now brought in to look at the area to make sure that there is nothing being constructed against the flooding patterns of the regions.
There is a flood season in Kenya that happens every 20 years to replenish the natural environment. Some areas of Kenya have cycles that are as soon as 5 years as well. It is important to make sure that when building there are experts to cite all these things.
There have been some developers putting up structures without looking at the patterns and building into protected areas.
Problems More Than Ecological with Riparian Real Estate
Aside from just intruding into areas of wetlands and disrupting the natural environment, there are many other issues. In the past few years, there have been many homes in the area of Nairobi County that have fallen in. There have been questions raised as to how these buildings were ever constructed and if they were signed off on by the housing authorities at all.
People need to be protected as much as wildlife during the construction process. That means that the owners can buy anything that they wish in terms of property. But they are not able to build something in that location which might be dangerous.
The right to life and happiness of the occupants is far more important than the desire of the owner to build what he or she wishes. With a rash of preventable deaths in the past 10 years, there needs to be more oversight by local authorities to ensure that there are no more issues.
In the past year alone, there were over 200 buildings that were marked for demolition because of the dangerous method of construction. The lack of regulation in riparian real estate has been startling in terms of the loss to the environment and the loss of human life.
More regulation must happen by the local authorities in terms of the environment, and the inspection of such structures.
