The study found that prices for high-end real estate in Nairobi jumped 25 percent in 2011. And the Kenyan Coast recorded the second highest growth, with a price jump of 20 percent. Miami came in third, with a price increase of 19.1 percent for luxury real estate, according to the study.
Ironically, some of the largest price drops were in places with the strongest economic growth, likely due to the ongoing impact of the financial crisis and the end of price booms in Asia.
So why the record growth in Nairobi? The report, which calls the increase “startling,” explains:

“Safe haven” isn’t necessarily a phrase many people would use to describe the country in a global context, but compared with many of its neighbours it is just that, according to Ben Woodhams, Managing Director of Knight Frank Kenya.

He says that Kenya’s rapid economic development is attracting domestic and international private equity, with particular growth in remittances flowing from Kenya’s increasingly affluent diaspora.

However, recent events such as the kidnapping of tourists staying on the north coast and a sharp rise in interest rates to almost 25% also highlight the potential vulnerability of some emerging prime markets.

These are the 20 places where luxury residential real estate prices increased the most in 2011:

Knight Frank

All data from Knight Frank’s global network other than: Barcelona – Lucas Fox; Aspen – Mason Morse; Revelstoke – Sotheby’s Realty; Telluride – Telluride Properties

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REPORT by Ben Kaparo, Medina Palms Corporate Affairs Executive

Tomorrow 19Th April 2012 Medina Palms has partnered with Watamu Turtle Watch (Local Ocean Trust) to hold a mangrove replanting exercise in Mgangani, at the Mida Creek.We have collected 12,000 seedlings.

The event will host 25 volunteer students from American Universities, 11 staff from WAtamu Turtle Watch,5 marine scouts From Watamu Turtle Watch,KWS officers, 2 guests from Arocha,Medina Palms representatives and  students from Watamu primary school and members of the community.

We have taken this initiative to save the mangrove ecosystem that is quickly diminishing thus endangering many marine species, the environment and livelihoods at large. Mida creek has 8 out of 10 species of Mangroves found on
the Indian ocean coast. This has to be preserved by all means. They provide hatchery areas for fish, feeding areas for juvenile turtles, large fish such as  snappers, crab shrimp and lobsters, they prevent siltation on the coral reefs
and act as windbreakers that protect the shoreline among many other benefits.

There are many threats to mangroves which can take paragraphs to mention, but in this Mgangani area specifically, the destruction of mangroves is caused  by illegal cutting of the roots, in search of special worms for bait, that inhabit the
mangrove muddy waters.

As Medina Palms, we have seen the need to support this organisation in creating awareness on the benefits of mangrove conservation, encouraging the community to use altnative materials for building, providing communities with viable alternative sources of income, such as tourism.  A healthy mangrove ecosystem is not only rich in biodiversity but also reduce siltation on the seagrass beds and coral reefs and this in turn benefits the coastal communities and vice versa

The picture below show the rear of the classroom block, whilst the front of the block is now recovered and painted and looks beautiful.

View of the rear of the school block