Meet The Owners of Ksh 10 Million Rock House in Nairobi

“We wanted the entrance to be a permanent memorial for those that will pass through it,” said Mr. Patrick Wanjohi when talking about his gate, which is one of a kind.

The gate creates the illusion of two huge boulder rocks such that when pushed open, it feels like a rolling tombstone.

Rock House, as it is commonly referred to, was designed by Patrick and his wife of 34 years Susan Wanjohi, ten years ago.

The couple’s idea was conceptualized when all their four children left their family home as they converted part of their matrimonial house into a guest house.

The compound is sectioned that they live in one section allowing them to have their privacy outside of the intrusion of the guests.

Having been in the hospitality industry for over 30 years, the Wanjohi’s weren’t doing anything outside of their norm.

In his youthful days, Mr Wanjohi was a tour guide before funding his tour and safaris company, Mountain Rock Safaris in 1992. The company offered its clients adventure walking tours and wildlife safaris.

Mr Wanjohi mentions: “I did a lot of these things in the Mau Mau caves. People are attracted to natural beauty which is possibly why I won many awards.

“Because life drew me away from that environment, and rocks paint a beautiful picture of nature, as a reminder, I built a house similar to the caves,” he added.

The Rock House, built-in Karen, Nairobi, took one year to be completed.

Mr. Wanjohi worked with Nathan Kithinji, a rock artisan to achieve the vision of the house. The two had to travel back to his childhood playground where they spent hours making moulds from the rocks by the caves, capturing even the texture. The molds were transported back to Nairobi.

A mixture of cement and sand was poured into them and smoothed out. Once removed from the mould, the concrete blocks were added to the external parts of the house.

In addition, trees and flowers were added to the landscape to provide a full nature experience for both local and international guests.

After a rigorous one year of seeing the vision come to life, the couple morphed 12 double rooms, a conference hall, and a swimming pool with a waterfall.

The house is estimated to be valued at about Ksh 10 million.

One can get accommodation at Ksh3,000 per person per night.

Explaining how they funded the project, Mr. Wanjohi noted: “To finance the project, we re-mortgaged our previous house and got a loan from the bank. We have since repaid the money we owed thanks to the positive reception of the investment by the public.”

Wanjohi stated: “Instead of doing away with the construction waste, we piled it sky-high and created a life-size Mt. Kenya model.

“We show our Mount Kenya hiking guests what to expect as they prepare to tackle the real mountain,” he explains.

According to the couple, the Rock House has served many locals during the pandemic.

“We’ve hosted more locals after the pandemic struck as they sought to take a break from their chaotic life,” Susan Wanjohi stated.

She also noted that the pool is often opened to the public at Ksh500 and they host parties for people to celebrate life and create memories.

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