My Experience at the Luxury Living and Design Expo in Nairobi, Kenya

As a civil engineering student, I make a point of attending as many events in the built environment as possible. This enables me to keep in touch with what is actually happening in the wider industry, particularly in engineering and the built environment. Here is my experience at the Luxury Living and Design Expo:

The Ownership 360 Panel

On 1 August 2026, I got the chance to attend the Luxury Living and Design Expo at Village Market. The highlight of the day was the Ownership 360 panel discussion moderated by Andrew W. Barden, CEO of Kenyan Wall Street. The panel discussion featured industry experts:

• Sadia Rajput, Co-founder, Avaar Consulting
• Caroline Kimoita, Head of the Real Estate and Construction Department at Ashitiva Advocates LLP
• Nashon Okowa, Director at Beacon Africa Consultants.

How Do You Start Your Real Estate Ownership Journey in Kenya?

The speakers addressed multiple facets of the ownership journey for people seeking to own real estate in Kenya. The speakers agreed on the importance of due diligence before making real estate investments. In Kenya, doing legal checks alone is not enough, and more effort should be put into understanding the history of the property you seek to purchase or invest in.

What Really Is Real Estate Due Diligence in Kenya?

Nashon Okowa, insisted that buyers should take it upon themselves to understand the property, including:

• The consultants involved in the project
• Whether approvals for the development were issued
• The property's history and records
• Information about the developer
• Whether there are any footprints left by shortcuts taken during development.

The key takeaway was that as a buyer you should never delegate your due diligence.

Trends in Real Estate in Kenya

The panellists noted that buyers' preferences are changing and therefore developers should build with that in mind. More buyers are now preferring developments that support family life and those that allow residents to reconnect with nature.

With the increasing number of high-rise apartments, this might be a dream for the few. What do you think could be the solution? I personally believe most people will move out to the outskirts of the city where there are still a lot of green spaces. This, in my view, partly explains why Kiambu town is getting dustier than Nairobi CBD. This is largely due to the increase in construction in Kiambu as people increasingly gravitate towards areas that are outside the concrete jungle but still accessible to the city.

Apart from green spaces, there was also an unreolved discussion on whether open-plan kitchens are still the deal or not with the panellists expressing differing opinions. I personally prefer traditional kitchens since I don't want to salivate over the food as it is being prepared while suffering under the excruciating hunger pangs, nor do I want to be watched cooking. Are open-plan kitchens really the best option in the current market for developers seeking to build?

My Overall Experience at the Luxury Living and Design Expo

Apart from the panel discussion on ownership, the Luxury Living and Design Expo was a great experience. I got to interact with fellow NOMP mentees, including:

• Joy Juliet
• Gertrude Benedict Wanjiru
• Collins Muumba
• Abednego Kioko
• Ruth Ayuma
• As well as Stacy Otieno, an AECAS member.

I also had an enlightening chat with Nashon Okowa, a distinguished project manager, on the basics of running a company in the built environment.

I look forward to the next Luxury Living and Design Expo. Did you attend the expo? If you did, you can share your experience with me via my contact page.

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