Homa Bay Woman Says Viral Mabati House Cost KSh 250k: “Built In Day”

• When Evelyn Onyango shared images of her well-furnished mabati house in Homa Bay county, it went viral
• The entrepreneur shared with TUKO.co.ke about the construction process and costs involved
• Evelyn said her house inspired many Kenyans and encouraged those with no home upcountry to follow suit

Evelyn Onyango, an entrepreneur from Homa Bay County, has offered insights into building a neat mabati house, which went viral.

How did entrepreneur build house in day?

Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Evelyn noted that the one-bedroom house is temporary as she plans to build a bigger one.

“The first house is called ligala in Luo, and we built it on Wednesday, February 21. It took only a day to complete.”

Evelyn, who runs a cleaning company and a transport business, admits the house was messy when they finished it.

“It had no floor, but we moved in. I went back after three weeks and did the floor and the veranda.”

The veranda transformed the house, and Evelyn says it was to provide additional sitting space outdoors.

The construction process was smooth as she sourced fundis and the wood locally but purchased the iron sheets in Nairobi.

“The fundis were affordable, we spent around KSh 20,000 paying them. The total construction cost was around KSh 250,000. We didn’t struggle much.”

Since sharing images of her house, Evelyn says she’s gotten many inquiries about the construction process.

“A lady from Murang’a was inspired, and she built a similar house and then sent me the photos.”

Evelyn encouraged people without homes upcountry to go for mabati structures.

“God forbid something bad happens like death happens and your remains are taken upcountry, yet you don’t own a home. That is when discussions of people living large in Nairobi while having nothing back home start.”

How much does mabati house cost in Kenya?

In March 2024, Edward and Lucia wowed Kenyans by showing off their two-bedroom mabati house, which was built at a cost of KSh 150,000.

Edward said he single-handedly built the house from scratch because he could not afford to hire builders.

He told a YouTuber that he initially wanted a mansion, but since they could not afford it, they settled for the mabati house.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke