Embarking on a self build for a family home? Or are you a budding contractor in the building and construction sector? Here is a quick guide on where to get best deals on building and construction materials in Bungoma town.
So you have cracked the burgeoning Bungoma real estate market and gotten yourself a piece of land where you desire to self build a nest for your clan. You possibly also have an architect who has scouted the site, done diligence and you have a plan. If you are doing this Kenyan style, you’ll have your fundi on standby. Depending on your experience with these things, you and your fundi have already guesstimated quantities of construction materials you’ll need for the project. But where do you start? Where do you get good quality, fairly priced building and construction materials in Bungoma?
Bricks
Clay baked bricks have been the traditional choice of walling material when building and constructing in Bungoma. Traditionally these areas, all within fifteen minutes of Bungoma CBD, have well regarded brick making cottage industries. These areas are: Musikoma and Siritanyi in Kanduyi constituency and Mateka in Bumula constituency.
If you are going with brick as your choice walling material, the best time to purchase is in the months of November, December and January. In these months, the weather is ideal for brick making. Moreover, in these months, they are plenty of hands to do the heavy work of brick making. This is because the farms lie fallow after harvesting.
Hardware Stores To Get Bulk Discounts On Building And Construction Materials In Bungoma
There are a host of hardware shops along the Bungoma- Mumias road opposite the main stage in CBD, Bungoma. Here you will find most of what you could need as regards steel bars, wall pass, building nails, cement and the likes. Hardware shops along the main Bungoma CBD street, Moi street, are more “specialist”. There you will find your choice on floor tiles, door locks, plumbing and electrical materials and other finishes.
However, if in need of top quality house finishes, you are better of trying your luck in Eldoret or Kisumu. Both towns are at least two hours away from Bungoma. Moreover, you can also head on down to Kampala, also just over two hours away, for interior decor and upholstery on a deal.
Ballast
Try a quarry that has come to be known as H- Young. It is found at a place called Bwema past Kanduyi on your way to Malaba on the Eldoret- Malaba road.
Sand
The suitability or quality of sand when building and constructing depends on the intended purpose. If you have a fussy fundi or if you are a perfectionist, getting the right quality of sand at a good price might become quite a challenge.
Thank god that the Malaba area and Lwakhakha, the border point in Sirisia constituency produce good all purpose sand.
Hardcore
Just find or ask for any place called Lurare. Often, such places have artisanal mines producing murram and rock. These areas can seldom support crops to grow. Lurare means bedrock. A type of bedrock known as kamabale kamamomolo in Lubukusu. Kamabale means stones in Lubukusu. While kamamomolo refers to their physical characteristics. These “stones” are brown red compacted blocks of earth. They are soft and friable such that they can’t be dressed into blocks. Even if that could do somehow achieved, the resultant blocks would be too weak to build structures requiring strength.
Murram
Try out Nangili (the market center that hosts Engoho Kuku Farm) or in the general locality of Khachonge, both areas in Kabuchai constituency. The area of Musakasa in Siboti, Bumula constituency is also worth a try. What you need to know about murram is that it is usually dug up from people’s farms. All you have to do is to find a farmer who is a willing to let you dig up whatever you might need at an agreed fee.
Timber
If you are building in the village, timber is surprisingly one of the cheaper building and constructing materials in Bungoma. This is because more farmers have farmed mini plantations of exotic trees on the farms. With a good guide and good negotiation skills, you will find good deals on tress that you can log for timber. For larger projects find a logger with a license to log in Mt. Elgon forest. For quick buys, try the area around NCPB cereals and Chingiliechi in Kanduyi.
Water
In most of Bungoma, you will hit water after digging shallow wells that are thirty feet deep or less.
Skilled Artisan Services
Yet again in areas surrounding the main stage in CBD Bungoma. Transport services can also be sourced from there. At a locale known as Chingiliechi on the road between Bungoma town and Kanduyi, you’ll find some good welders. This area is also a spot where you will find timber yards for quick timber purchases.