Wild spendour at Ol Pejeta

 

PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI  NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JAMES NGUNJIRI ngunjirij@ke.nationmedia.com, July 4  2013 

In Summary

• Ol Pejeta will be undertaking the maintenance of the roads, security fences, water, and electricity at a fee. The cost will be shared among the owners, with each home paying about Sh200,000 a year
• So far 55 houses have been sold, with five-bedroom units going for Sh33 million
• Owners will get a 99-year lease from the Mt Kenya Wildlife Estate, the developers of the property, as well as shareholding in the estate with the right to make decisions and to vote

Imagine a life in the wild, the quiet of the night punctuated every now and then by the roar of a lion and the cheeky laughter of a hyena. Imagine, also, a life removed from the hustle and bustle of civilisation, yet entrenched in that very civilisation.

Close your eyes and think of the remotest place you have ever visited. No roads, right? No electricity, right? No piped water, right?

Keep your eyes closed and imagine how that place would look like if it had all those things but still retained its wild appeal. Put a Sh33 million maisonette bang in the middle of that wasteland and open your eyes.

You are now at Mt Kenya Wildlife Estate in the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, where the word “wild” is no longer synonymous with “inaccessible” and “outback”. Deep inside this jungle that is about 300 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, a new development stands, glistening proudly in the shadows of Mt Kenya.

Even in real life, the development seems misplaced, the houses jumping at you like those magical photos on postcards that you swear cannot be real. Yes, the brains behind this new estate in the middle of nowhere have just photoshopped the landscape. And, boy, haven’t they done it superbly!

The housing scheme is unique in that it is set on 100 acres within the 90,0000-acre Ol Pejeta in Laikipia County, famous for protecting rhinos.

Those rich enough to afford the houses on offer will have the luxury of living side by side with wildlife because the estate is carved out of the eastern corner of Ol Pejeta, setting up a new way of country living.

Rose Thogo of Ryden International, the selling agents, does not hide the fact that she and her team have lofty ideas about this place, saying they are targeting the millionaires of this world to come live here. So far, they have sold 55 houses, with five-bedroom units going for Sh33 million.
The project is expected, in one way or the other, to demystify the very interesting Ol Pejeta ownership history.

The world-famous address was once owned by Lord Delamere and, later, by American-born Greek businesswoman Christina Onassis’ father-in-law. Christina was the only daughter of the Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis, once the richest man in the world.

But it is during Saudi playboy Adnan Khashoggi’s ownership that the quiet ranch transformed into an entertainment arena, drawing socialites to it like moths to the flame.

The ranch is also famous for the fact that the Equator cuts right across it, besides being home to lions, elephants, buffaloes, giraffes, and rhinos.
Ms Thogo says the developers have clustered the houses along the numerous waterholes and salt licks that dot this vast expanse.

“These are the only water points in the conservancy, so you will have a chance to see the animals drinking from the waterholes as you rest on your balcony,” she says.

The houses have been designed in such a way that one can view Mt Kenya, the Aberdares range, and the Lolldaiga hills as you mingle with wild animals grazing in the plains past an electric fence separing the estate from the wild proper.

“It is secure enough to keep away even the large animals,” says Ms Thogo. “You can even take a walk or cycle around.”

That daily dose of paradise does not come cheap, though. To own a unit, one has to pay a deposit of Sh3 million, with the remaining Sh30 million spread over the construction period.

Ol Pejeta will be undertaking the maintenance of the roads, security fences, water, and electricity at a fee. The cost will be shared among the owners, with each home paying about Sh200,000 a year.

Owners will get a 99-year lease from the Mt Kenya Wildlife Estate, the developers of the property, as well as shareholding in the estate with the right to make decisions and to vote.

This means that the development, once complete, becomes a separate entity from Ol Pejeta Conservancy as it will be controlled by the house owners.

Ol Pejeta has become a favourite destination for wealthy tourists who would pay a fortune for the chance to live with wildlife in the bush. As a result, the conservancy has made Nanyuki a focal point for tourists visiting game reserves in Samburu and Laikipia.

Lured by the good weather that prevails all year round, game in the nearby conservancies and expansive parks and other attractions like Mt Kenya, Lolldaiga hills, and the Aberdares, Europeans, particularly the British, are either settling in this quiet county or buying holiday homes around Nanyuki town.

Indeed, the romantic relationship between the British and Laikipia is epitomised by Prince William’s decision to propose to his long-time girlfriend, now wife, Kate Middleton, in a rustic cabin on the slopes of Mt Kenya when the love birds secretly flew into the country in October 2010.

Away from matters brick-and-mortar, the conservancy is also home to Ankole cattle, introduced several years ago by the current deputy president of South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ankole cattle are not the best beef breed, but many people find their long horns fascinating. Currently, there are about 100 such cattle owned by Mr Ramaphosa at Ol Pejeta. The conservancy has also started cross-breeding them with Boran cattle, whose demand is at an all-time high in South Africa.