American singer Kelis on her decision to move to Kenya and buying 300 acres in Naivasha

Speaking to podcast outlet Earn Your Leisure, Kelis expressed her deep admiration for Kenya, revealing that she bought 300 acres of land in Naivasha while also detailing the reasoning behind the groundbreaking decision.

The sweeping parcel of land is located right next to Lake Naivasha. It also overlooks Mount Longonot and is surrounded by the Lake Naivasha National Park, a popular wildlife destination known for its diverse wildlife and birdlife.

On her controversial move to buy land rights within the precincts of a game reserve, Kelis said that she did so to establish a community that would co-exist peacefully with the animals and one that would, eventually, prove beneficial to society at large.

"We're building a little community out here. We just walked and saw the farm, saw some red onions, some yellow onions. My plan is to do an all-sustainable luxury retreat like a resort. So along with the farming, doing agriculture, but also having a wellness space so people can come and spot up and relax," she said.

"We'll have a fine dining restaurant. We'll have bungalows. It's all just about being one with nature, being out here, and trying to keep it as part of the ecosystem as possible and just making it all go together."

Kelis also revealed that she had already started farming onions while at the same time, she was enjoying patronage from various wild animals who regularly cut through her farm.

"We've got giraffes and zebras and elons and impalas and all kinds of stuff. Sometimes you'll get blessed with an elephant walking through and the giraffes hanging out," she said.

The singer also detailed the reason behind moving to Kenya, saying the country offered everything, all at once.

"Oh my goodness. Kenya is everything. Kenya has everything. It is the hub of East Africa for technology and finance and obviously agriculture," she said.

"It just has everything, and it's got kind of the best of all the world. So you can be completely far away, like in rural plains like this, or you can be in Nairobi, which is a bustling city with great restaurants and shopping and things like that. So it's amazing!"

The 'Milkshake' singer also explained that her love and educational background for culinary arts led to her deep desire to venture into farming, eventually moving to Kenya and settling in Naivasha.

"My sister called me and she said I'm going to Africa. And I was like, well, I'll fund it. And the more her and I started talking about it, because I was like, I'll pay for it. I was like, you know what? Why can't I go? I want to go. I was like, I'm going to pay for this whole trip. I want to go, too," she said.

Initially, the plan was to tour Zanzibar and Kenya, but as time went by, Kelis ended up falling in love with Kenya, hence her decision to buy land, set up a farm and permanently stay.

On her stay so far, Kelis says that she has had to battle with the idea of co-existing with wild animals running around her farm. While she appreciates that the animals belonged to the land way before she owned it, she stressed that it was important to figure out how both farmer and wildlife could live side-by-side.

"There's a way to farm and not completely like ruin the ecosystem but become a part of it," she said.

She also explained that, despite her love for animals, she had to put up a fence because of the investments she had poured into the farm and the risk of having it all trashed by wildlife.

"I put up the fence more so that because, you know, a lot of times you find that like if you don't have a fence yet... this is real money we're investing here, right? Like I've invested real money into this farming," she explained.

"As much as I love the elephants and I want to make a space for them, I also need a space, too, right? So, I can't have them trampling through my farm, right? And so we make a space for them right here."

She added, "We're going to put a watering hole so the animals actually can come and drink water there. So even though I've got this fence up where I don't want them to trample my crops, we're planting trees and all kinds of flora and fauna where they actually which will benefit the area and benefit them and the weather and everything there."

The mother of three also explained that her decision to move to Kenya had to make business sense to her first, adding that she wouldn't move her "hard-earned money" out of the United States and simply throw it away without a proper plan.

"I think about my education, my worldliness, the things that I've learned anywhere I go, I like to think that like if I'm not benefiting, I shouldn't be there, right? And so, I genuinely feel that way," she stated.

"Being in Kenya, I want to be of use. It's not about charity. It's about being part of a culture. I'm part of a community. You know what I'm saying? Like, nobody wants charity. It's about like, yo, I'm here. How can I be of use? Put me to work. What can I do? So, whether it's farming or just showing people that I'm here and that you can invest and make businesses."

And on her children, Kelis stressed the importance of having her kids adopt a life in Africa, saying that she felt that they were safer here and that they would be more respected in Kenya than in the US.

"I look at my kids. I've got these beautiful black kids and I put so much energy and time and money and schooling into them and then I'm going to give them to a nation just to like s*'t on it," she lamented.

"That's my most valuable possession. I (don't) have to worry about them getting shot or getting arrested or not. I want to walk into a place where they're not immediately hating my bloodline and my lineage and everything that I come from and everything that I stand for, like that's worth its weight and gold to me."

Her Naivasha Resort, she stressed, was born out of the fact that she had toured the world as a musician for the last 25 years and, having been to the best hotels and experienced the most luxurious things in the world, she felt the need to replicate that in Africa- and empower more black people to take up more space in the hospitality industry.

"I've been in every hotel, every five-star resort, spa, you name it. I know what I love, I know what luxury looks like, and when I came out here and I was like, this place is paradise. Like, it's so beautiful, and I found my land. I was like, I want to do a wellness retreat. I want to do something like a place where it's just black and luxurious and fabulous. "