Once touted as a rising star in affordable housing, Willstone Homes has instead emerged as one of Kenya’s most inconsistent real estate developers, plagued by scandals, legal disputes, and project failures that have left investors questioning its credibility.
The company’s troubles have been as much internal as external. Earlier this year, a boardroom battle between directors Ejidio Kinyajui and Victor Cosmus Muusya spilled into the courts.
Kinyajui accused Muusya of blocking him from becoming a signatory to company bank accounts, a move that risked stalling projects and delaying payouts to clients.
Muusya responded with counter-claims of mismanagement, money laundering, and tax fraud.
Although a costly settlement restructured ownership and restored joint control of accounts, the episode underscored the fragile governance at the heart of the company.
Beyond boardroom wrangles, Willstone Homes has been repeatedly accused of selling properties it does not legally own.
In one case, a diaspora client based in the United States paid Sh2 million for a unit under the “Manna Residence” project, only to discover the land had not been secured by the company. Despite legal pressure, the firm resisted a full refund before eventually settling the matter out of court. Other buyers, such as Joseph Kiiru, faced similar ordeals—paying millions for units that remained incomplete long after promised timelines, with the company threatening repossession rather than refund.
The controversies do not end there. Projects branded as “Batian Court” and “Elgon Court” collapsed after the rightful landowner refused to sell to Willstone Homes, despite dozens of units already being marketed and sold to unsuspecting buyers. Reports also reveal that the developer failed to complete payment for a 17-acre parcel in Ruiru, raising uncertainty over the fate of hundreds of homebuyers who invested in the disputed land.
These repeated scandals point to a pattern of inconsistency—grand promises followed by half-delivered projects, bitter legal disputes, or outright collapse. Clients have reported missing documentation, stalled construction for over two years, vanished sales teams, and refund requests that go unanswered.
For many Kenyans, these experiences reinforce growing skepticism about off-plan housing schemes, which promise affordability but often deliver heartbreak. As one industry observer noted, “Off-plan houses remain a gamble in Kenya. Without proper regulation, developers like Willstone Homes turn dreams into nightmares.”
With its reputation now mired in fraud claims and governance failures, Willstone Homes stands as a cautionary tale in Kenya’s booming but poorly regulated real estate sector—an emblem of inconsistency that investors can no longer afford to ignore.
