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The Developer's Digest, August - September 2017 Issue

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KPDA PARTNERS PROFILE<br />

KPDA FEATURE<br />

TCPAK ACTIVITIES AND ENGAGEMENTS<br />

Legislation Agenda<br />

In the recent years, TCPAK members have<br />

participated in the review of various Acts<br />

and Bills of Parliament and engaged<br />

committees of both the Senate and<br />

National Assembly. Some of the Acts and<br />

Bills reviewed include the Land Act, Land<br />

Registration Act, Community Land Act<br />

and the Physical Planning Bill 2015.<br />

Policy and Guidelines<br />

<strong>The</strong> Association and its members<br />

have contributed in the review and<br />

formulation of policy, regulations and<br />

standards. Some of the policy and<br />

regulation items include - county spatial/<br />

urban land use planning oversight and<br />

monitoring guidelines, national land use<br />

policy, and national spatial plan.<br />

National State Agencies<br />

TCPAK has developed useful working<br />

relationship with many national<br />

government ministries, departments<br />

and state agencies.<br />

<strong>The</strong>se agencies include the Ministry<br />

of Lands and Physical Planning, the<br />

State Department for Housing and<br />

Urban Development, National Land<br />

Commission, LAPSSET, Kenya Power,<br />

KENGEN and the KWS.<br />

Town and County Governments<br />

<strong>The</strong> Association and its members are<br />

spread in all counties in Kenya. As a<br />

professional association of town and<br />

county planners, the Association has<br />

nurtured close working relationships<br />

with county governments directly and<br />

through the Council of Governors (COG).<br />

Town and County Planning and<br />

Development Conference<br />

<strong>The</strong> new Kenya Constitution 2010 has<br />

identified towns and counties as the<br />

engine and focus of development. To this<br />

end, TCPAK plays host to the annual Town<br />

and County Planning and Development<br />

conference, 8th to 10th November every<br />

year.<br />

This premier event attracts professionals,<br />

national/county government officials,<br />

private sector and the academia.<br />

World Town Planning Day<br />

<strong>The</strong> World Town Planning Day is marked<br />

annually on 8th November. Globally, the<br />

event is coordinated by the International<br />

Society of City and Regional Planning<br />

(ISOCARP, <strong>The</strong> Hague/Netherlands). As<br />

members of ISOCARP, AAK Town Planners<br />

Chapter and TCPAK have been hosting<br />

this event here in Kenya since 2008.<br />

Town Awards of Excellence<br />

Town Awards of Excellence is a brain child<br />

of TCPAK. This annual Award is given to<br />

individuals, corporate and state agencies<br />

in recognition of their efforts to making<br />

towns and counties better places to live,<br />

work and invest in.<br />

UPCOMING EVENTS<br />

THE ASSOCIATION INVITES ALL TO THE UPCOMING EVENTS LISTED BELOW:<br />

ISOCARP Congress 24th – 27th October <strong>2017</strong><br />

Portland Oregon, USA<br />

<strong>The</strong> International Society of City and Regional Planners<br />

(ISOCARP) 53rd Congress will be held over the period<br />

24th – 27th October <strong>2017</strong>, Portland Oregon, USA. TCPAK<br />

Chairman is member of the congress committee and chair/<br />

rapportuer for Track 1 on Infrastructure, Buildings and<br />

ICT. For more information on this ISOCARP International<br />

Congress, visit the ISOCARP official website at https://<br />

isocarp.org/<br />

Town and County Planning and Development<br />

Conference <strong>2017</strong><br />

<strong>The</strong> Town and County Planning and Development<br />

Conference, 6th - 8th December <strong>2017</strong>, will be held at the<br />

Travellers Beach Hotel in Nyali, Mombasa. This event will<br />

also mark the annual World Town Planning Day and Town<br />

Awards of Excellence <strong>2017</strong>. Registration for this 3-in-1<br />

event is now open and further details can be obtained<br />

from the TCPAK secretariat.<br />

MEMBERSHIP AND CONTACT ADDRESS<br />

Membership<br />

TCPAK membership categories include - Fellow,<br />

Corporate, Institutional, Graduate, Associate, Technician,<br />

Student, Honorary, Visiting, and Firm.<br />

Contact Address<br />

<strong>The</strong> Association Secretariat address is as outlined below:<br />

Physical Address:<br />

Block 2, White Court, Galana Road, Kilimani, Nairobi<br />

Email:<br />

tcpakassociation@yahoo.com; info@tcpak.com;<br />

Cell: (+254) 0725 028 572<br />

Website: www.tcpak.com<br />

THE STATE OF REAL ESTATE IN KENYA<br />

Kenya’s real estate market like any other<br />

in the world operates in cycles. Our cycles<br />

tend to start after a general election and<br />

end with the next general elections.<br />

<strong>2017</strong> will be an election year and the<br />

slowdown in uptake, drop in prices and<br />

the increasing number of vacancies is a<br />

telltale sign that the market is adopting<br />

a wait and see attitude.<br />

Real estate however, continues to<br />

remain one of the most sort after sectors<br />

of investment in the Kenyan economy.<br />

<strong>The</strong> simple reason behind this is<br />

twofold. One of the main reasons is due<br />

to its proven status as a safe investment<br />

with little risks and guaranteed returns<br />

given the ever appreciating value of<br />

land. Second and most importantly, the<br />

Kenyan population. A huge part of the<br />

Kenyan population have an underlying<br />

endeavour to one day own part of the<br />

earth’s crust (land) in order to actualize<br />

their ever existing ambition of land<br />

ownership.<br />

<strong>2017</strong> has thus far been a very interesting<br />

year. This is due to the fact that late last<br />

year, the Cabinet Secretary in charge of<br />

Land and Physical Planning had issued<br />

a freeze in the renewal of leases and in<br />

fact any dealings in land in several parts<br />

of the country including Kajiado County<br />

as a measure of moving in to curb fraud<br />

that had become rampant perpetuated<br />

on unexpecting land owners.<br />

<strong>The</strong> ban brought a temporary state<br />

of inactivity in terms of slowing down<br />

investment in those affected areas. <strong>The</strong><br />

real estate sector thus experienced a<br />

temporary drop in the overall amounts<br />

spent by investors to acquire disposition<br />

in land.<br />

Come May of <strong>2017</strong>, the Cabinet<br />

Secretary reversed his temporary ban<br />

on the renewal of leases and dealings<br />

in land from the affected areas and<br />

the sector once again became vibrant<br />

with investment in land going back to<br />

previous highs.<br />

Whereas land ownership remains a vital<br />

part of the real estate sector, various<br />

other avenues exist as viable investment<br />

opportunities in as far as real estate is<br />

concerned. This include construction,<br />

agency management, commercial and<br />

13<br />

Kenya Property Developers Association... Development brings Development!<br />

Kenya Property Developers Association... Development brings Development!<br />

14

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