Standing at one end of the lakeside city of Kisumu, luxurious homes dot Riat Hills which is just over five kilometres from the central business district (CBD). The unique architectural designs and well-manicured fences that surround the houses provide a perfect place for a dream home.
On a closer look, however, most of the magnificent homes display elegance in decay as a number of homeowners have left their multi-million shillings structures unoccupied for most parts of the year as they reside out of town.
Abandoned mansions, some unfinished, are common in several cities where well-off Kenyans prefer to have second or third homes and only inhabit them when they pop in once in a while.
Unfortunately, when they remain deserted, elegantly constructed architecture plays host to insects, dust, and overgrown grass as the structures fall apart.
However, others opt to pay workers to manage them, a cost that does not come cheap. Eddy Anayo, for instance, who owns a house at Riat Hills said he has employed a caretaker to maintain the premium value of his Sh15 million investment.
He intends to sell the four-bedroom house which has a swimming pool, a solar-panel roof, a garage and a domestic servants quarter āāonce prices shoot upāā.
āI have another home where I live with my family and once in a while I use this house for social events like family get-togethers, birthdays and anniversaries,ā he said.
āDuring these events, I get the opportunity to market my property among friends and even family members who can connect me to potential buyers.ā
Photo below is houses @Riat Hills
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