Munene Nyaga's palatial house. Photo/DENISH OCHIENG
When radio personality Munene Nyaga bought his quarter-acre piece of land in Sabaki Estate off Mombasa Road in September 2008, one of his closest friends questioned his sanity, asking him if he was planning to keep goats there.
Unperturbed, the Easy FM presenter calmly told him that he was indeed looking forward to building a home on it.
Fast forward and four years after he began building his home, what once lay bare as hard, fruitless ground, now stands the pride of Munene Nyaga, a culmination of his hard work, patience and sacrifice.
The home reflects every inch of the presenter’s outspoken personality; with eight bedrooms, a 49-metre square living room complete with a huge bar, semi-circular observatory glass house, six bathrooms and an outdoor balcony.
Munene Nyaga in a jovial mood at the balcony of his eight bed roomed house in Sabaki, Athi River on August 11, 2013. DENISH OCHIENG (NAIROBI)
WHAT KIND OF HOUSE DID HE WANT?
It is a journey that began in April 2009 when Munene first broke ground to what would be his palatial home.
As opposed to taking up a mortgage, the 40-year-old decided to throw himself into the deep waters to build the house.
“I had many options, including taking up a mortgage, but the cost of mortgage is unbelievably high. I could have bought a house, but none looked exactly like what I wanted,” he says.
So what kind of house did he want?
“I sketched the house. Really, I did it. I was seated at a restaurant in town; eating fries and fish fingers and the idea occurred to me. Before I knew it, I had a sketch of my dream home. I wanted one with a common balcony,” he adds.
He started with the Sh3 million he had saved from his employer’s trust fund.
SAVINGS
When the architect saw Munene’s plan, he was amused.
He tried to reason with him that he did not need such a big house since he was a bachelor.
“He asked me ‘why?’ I asked him ‘why not?’ Just because I am a bachelor doesn’t mean I wanted a small house. I was building for myself what I wanted,” he says.
Among the house’s features include a hut-shaped glass observatory room, which Munene and his friends use as an upstairs living room.
The outdoor balcony is also a favourite where the presenter entertains his guests as they enjoy the view of Athi River and Kitengela.
It also has an underground water tank that can hold up to 80,000 litres of water and overhead tanks that hold 6,000 litres of water.
Munene is yet to come to terms with this achievement.
“I drive in here and sometimes I don’t believe this could be my house. Deep down, it feels so good. I feel like a child,” he says.
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