Blue Valley housing project gives youth skills beyond the classroom

A Bachelor of Commerce graduate from Chuka University, where she specialised in Marketing, Njeri secured an internship at the project after applying through the Public Service Commission website.

She has now spent nine months at the site, gaining practical experience in customer engagement and housing services.

“I have gained a lot of experience. I talk to clients and explain the process of acquiring a house,” she says.

For Njeri, one of the most rewarding aspects of the internship has been witnessing prospective homeowners move through the process of purchasing a unit.

She says seeing a client arrive hoping to own a home and leave excited after achieving that goal has given her a strong sense of fulfilment.

The experience has also offered her a closer look at a model of urban living she associates with developed countries, where people live in apartments while incorporating other activities such as small-scale farming.

She describes the development as an encouraging sign of Kenya’s changing urban landscape, particularly in Nyeri.

“I love that the units are very modern and very spacious. They are habitable and I’d say this is a step in the right direction,” she says.

Njeri’s experience forms part of a wider employment and skills story unfolding around the project, where both professional and construction workers are gaining practical exposure.

Brian Omondi, a civil and structural engineer and site lead, says about 170 workers are currently engaged at the project, with much of the work focused on finishing activities.

“The major works remaining are the finishes, civil works, paint works and plaster moulding,” Omondi says.

Precast production is also underway, producing materials for walkways and footpaths within the development. The completed project is expected to include green spaces where residents can enjoy nature.

According to Omondi, the Blue Valley project has about 352 units, comprising affordable, social and market units.

The project itself has reached 88.2 per cent physical progress. Construction commenced on 15 July 2024, with the expected completion date listed as 15 January 2026.

Across Blocks A, B and D, major structural milestones have been achieved, including foundations, columns, walling, upper-floor slabs and roofing. The 11th-floor beam, reinforcement and casting works are complete, while roof slabs have also been cast.

Finishing activities including plastering, skimming, screeding, tiling, terrazzo works, glazing, door installation, electrical wiring and painting are ongoing.

For Njeri, however, the project’s impact extends beyond the buildings rising on the site.

She says many of the people working at the project are drawn from the surrounding community, providing local residents with opportunities to earn a livelihood.

She also points to the physical transformation of the area, contrasting its current appearance with how it looked before construction began.

“The community has been transformed. Most people are getting their livelihood here,” she says.

As construction progresses, the project is consequently providing more than a new housing development. For young people such as Njeri, it is offering practical exposure beyond university, while for construction workers, it is creating opportunities to develop and apply technical skills on a large-scale project.