Foreigners and diaspora investors can purchase property in Kenya, offering a smart investment opportunity in a rapidly growing market. While Kenyan citizens have complete ownership of freehold land, foreigners are limited to leasehold properties, typically for up to 99 years.

• Foreigners and diaspora investors can acquire leasehold property, including apartments, townhouses, commercial spaces, and houses (with leasehold land title) in Kenya.
• The buying process involves identifying property, conducting a title search, engaging a lawyer, signing a sale agreement (with an initial deposit of often 10%), paying stamp duty (4% in urban areas, 2% in rural areas), and property transfer and registration.
• Financing options include cash purchases, diaspora mortgages from banks like NCBA, Standard Chartered, and KCB, and local bank mortgages.
• Additional costs include stamp duty, legal fees (1-2% of property cost), valuation fees, registration fees, and annual land rates charged by county governments.
• To avoid pitfalls, investors should verify titles with the Ministry of Lands, work with licensed agents, and remember that foreigners cannot directly own freehold agricultural land.