[pull_quote_center]Echuka Farm is a Kenyan farm dating back to colonial times that is famous for its yoghurts and fresh vegetables. Nestled in Tigoni, Limuru where there are expansive tea plantations, this mixed farm is slowly transforming into an Englishman’s Country Estate. [/pull_quote_center]
Echuka Farm, which was previously run by the late Cecilia Cege, is well known and has in the past enjoyed visits from high-ranking local and foreign dignitaries including Heads of State. They were all attracted by the success of the farm that was primarily run by a woman.
The first president to visit was HE Albert Rene of Seychelles in 1990 followed by New Zealand Prime Minister Jim Bolger, HE Frederick Chiluba of Zambia, South Africas’ First Lady Mrs. Marike De-Klerk and many others. Janet Museveni, currently First Lady of Uganda, came a few times accompanied by Ugandan women who were all too keen to see the farm. Cecilia passed on in 2007, leaving the farm to her children.
Background
The farm was bought by Mr and Mrs Peter Cege in 1976 from Mr and Mrs Rowland Cooper. There was a small dairy and a beautiful cottage built in the 1920s.The house still stands.
The Ceges built on what they found and established a large herd of dairy animals. They expanded the dairy, installed a milk processing plant and built a large English farm-house with a beautiful attic. Peter Cege loved to build and was always tinkering with some piece of equipment for the farm.
Echuka grew from the farm in Limuru to another six farms that were located in Naivasha, Gilgil and Nyahururu. Over the years, in three of these farms, Peter built three beautiful homes with his own fundis (masons). He couldn’t wait to leave his office at the Kenya Breweries to head off to the Rift for his weekend round of construction.
It seems this building bug was passed on to Peter and Cecilia’s son, Thuo who is now building 28 country homes for sale.
The New Houses
Thuo and his mother had always discussed building houses because the site (Echuka) was beautiful. Thuo took a leap of faith and with no money but just a ‘brilliant idea’ he sought for a good architect and settled on Tom Bowman of Bowman Associates.
Tom designed a scheme of 38 houses that was later reduced to 28 to save the trees and have more green areas. The first phase of 6 houses is complete and they intend to embark on the next phase as soon as funds are available.
The estate will comprise the 28 homes, a management block, a club house, a heated swimming pool and a gym. There is a water treatment plant that will enable the use of grey water in the gardens. Each house has a solar panel to take care of all the water heating requirements. The water is from a natural spring that is supplemented by a borehole. They also have more than adequate water storage capacity both underground and overhead.
