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TikToker reveals why Kenyan landlords use ‘ugly’ floor tiles


The real estate sector in Kenya has been expanding at an exponential rate with several flats constructed as opposed to single unit homes because of the profitability margins.

There is more gain in building up and constructing as many as 15 houses in a flat on an eighth of an acre plot compared to putting up a maisonette for one family to use.

And so, many social media users once noted that many of these flats in the outskirts of Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) known to contain particularly ‘ugly’ floor and wall tiles especially in estates along Waiyaki Way (outbound), Outer Ring Road, along Kangundo Road and in Utawala.

One TikToker by the name Kevin Kamau Muchai hopped onto the platform to attempt to explain why landlords were increasingly using ugly tiles in their rentals.

“When you look for a house to rent in Nairobi, you find tiles like these (those with multicolored patterns, shapes, flowers and drawings) and you ask yourself, ‘ah, why do they have Kikuyu patterns, always looking busy’ Have you ever wondered why they do that? If you build a flat or a high rise, tiles eat up a lot of money in the construction budget so they go for the most affordable ones and do kazi chafu. ,” said Muchai.

His sentiments were met with mixed reactions as sampled below:

“Go to Nakuru, you will run away from their rentals my brother. Tile are in all colors and patterns the way Kikuyus like them,” said Nine Lives.

Many laughed at how Muchai called out Kikuyu landlords for using busy, cheap tiles in their rentals, others claiming Kikuyus were just chilling before they were hilariously attacked.

“They can go for the cheap one but let them be plain. All those colors and patterns are the problem. You can make it cheap but what looks better” added Nice Upendo.

“Aren’t there affordable plain ones?” asked a laughing Bridger.

“Those patterns give people headaches,” added Wanjiru.

“Then you find the house has been painted green, blue and pink,” laughed Diana.

“Like where I live, I am outside. There are different tiles in the sitting room, in the bathrooms, in the kitchen and in the balcony…all different busy tiles in the same house,” added Blessed.

“Am having a hard time with these tiles here in Nyeri,” said Norah Ngami.

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