NARETOI HOMEOWNERS RULES

BUSH HOME SIZE:

• Tier 1 ‘Enkaji’ – Up to 5,000 sq ft; 465 sq mt; up to 7 bedrooms

• Tier 2 ‘Boma’ – Up to 7,500 sq ft; 697 sq mt; up to 7 bedrooms

• Tier 3 ‘Manyatta’ – Up to 10,000 sq ft; 930 sq mt; up to 7 bedrooms

The above floor space limits apply to the total floor space of the home per footprint. This applies to double storey homes, where the upper floor space is included in the total, and also applies to underground rooms, stores & wine cellars.

Calculations of square meterage/footage include anything covered by a roof, including covered verandahs, gazebos and the like, irrespective of whether they are walled or not.

Pergolas or similar broken covered areas are not included in the area calculations, as are pool pump houses, generator houses, viewing decks and garden sheds.

BUSH HOME STOREY LIMIT

Bush homes are to be no more than two stories. Building of third level Sundonwer Decks covered by a roof is prohibited on second stories, but IS permitted on single story homes.

Double story homes are to be limited to the top of the home being 35ft (10.7m) in total elevation above ground level.

GENERAL CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES:

Homes are urged to be designed constructed with the ‘bush home’ in mind, blending in with the surroundings as much as possible and using materials that are considered to be eco-friendly and visually in keeping with a low key unobtrusive look. This look and feel may certainly include ultra-modern eco-home designs as long as the aesthetics are appealing and do not stand out with loud colours.

• Roofing materials are limited to thatch, ‘makuti’, earthy coloured & textured tiles (no bright colours eg. green, red, pink or blue), and may include the new pressed iron sheeting imitation tiles eg. “Tactile” so long as the finish is a Matte non-shiny finish and is a subtle, earthy colour. Corrugated iron roofs and IT4 type square corrugated iron roofs are permitted as long as they are subtle, earthy colours and are finished with a Matte effect.

•  No shiny, unpainted iron roofs are permitted. Any variation of these guidelines would require permission of the Board of the Management Company in writing on a case by case basis.

• Exterior walls are not to be bright white (unless largely hidden away from public view by eco-walls or bush), and should be coloured in off-white or earthy colours

• Exterior lighting is to be arranged in such a way as to reduce as much as possible lights shining directly into view of other home owners, as well as the public areas of the estate in general. Homeowners must be mindful to ensure their exterior lights are not highly visible from other parts of the Naretoi property.

• Raw materials that are readily available locally, or on farm, are recommended to be utilised in order to blend in as much as possible.

For each home design, the architectural drawings (or sketched if the house is simple and being built in a simple manner) is required to be presented to the Naretoi Committee for vetting and written approval prior to start of construction.

For homes that have already been built and approved, any further construction of significant structures require prior written approval by the board.

ELECTRICITY

Homeowners are encouraged to build their homes to be powered by renewable energy, since there will not be any mains power circulation on the estate. This would be for example power by either solar or wind (or both), with batteries and an inverter for all the home power needs. Owners may have a standby/backup generator, but these are required to be the silent type, and should be turned off by 10pm.

WATER

Homeowners are asked to make every endeavor to be water independent by means of water catchment and large storage tanks. Each home should have water storage capacity of no less than 10,000 litres. Those who have tile or other ‘solid’ roofing are urged to harvest water from their roofs and hold in storage tanks. Naretoi will supply additional water to homeowners by bowser at cost to cover treatment and distribution of the same.

Home owners may also opt-in to the Naretoi borehole, but the share of this, as well as water piping to their home will be at the cost of the homeowner.

WASTE WATER

Each home should have self-contained waste-water management/treatment systems which treats waste water to a level that is acceptable for modern eco-home requirements. There should be zero environmentally harmful effluents leaving Naretoi homes and entering the soil, the surrounding environment, or the Mara River.

Homeowners are to ensure their waste treatment facilities are laid out according to national regulations in terms of proximity of waste plants to rivers or other ground water features.

FENCING OF HOMES

The bush homes should have ‘organic’ fences only around their respective footprint, such as wooden pole fences to keep wild animals out of the immediate area surrounding the homes. Other materials permitted for use may include bamboo, picket-type, rattan-type (woven saplings), dry stone or invisible cement, etc. No barbed wire or multi-strand electric fences will be permitted around the footprints, though discrete single strand electric fences will be permitted.  Raw materials may be sourced locally where available.

LOCATION OF HOMES

Bush homes, staff quarters and other installations are required to be minimum 7 (seven) metres away from their boundaries, unless two neighbours have mutually agreed in writing and copied the Naretoi Committee a variation of this rule. This rule also applies to homes that do not have an immediate neighbor on their boundary.

Location of homes along the Mara River must comply with all regulations pertaining to construction of permanent buildings in proximity to the river, especially in relation to Riperian laws of Kenya.

STAFF HOUSING

Optional staff housing permitted at the bush-home site would be as follows:

• Single unit staff quarters for four staff; with maximum floor space area 75 sqm; (807 sq ft)

Additional housing can be arranged on an allocated plot on the edge of the estate, near the existing staff housing area at additional cost to cover construction and maintenance of the same. Staff member may also opt to rent accommodation off-site, as agreed with the relevant homeowner.

DRIVEWAYS & CAR PARKS

Bush home driveways are to be constructed of murram, grass, ‘cabro’ or Bamburi-blox, stone or any similar ‘earthy’ material in earthy colours, not bright white or very light grey. Tarmac and multi-coloured rubble are not permitted.

Car parks/garages are to be limited to 100 square metres.

GENERATOR/SOLAR ROOMS

Generator rooms / solar power rooms are to be limited to 12 square metres.

WATER TANKS & COMMUNICATION TOWERS

Any above ground water tanks & communication towers should be painted either green, brown or similar earth colours, and the top of the tank/tower should not be more than 4 metres higher than the home’s top ring-beam.

GARDENS, TREES AND EXOTIC PLANTS

Use of exotic, non-indigenous plants is permitted within the home, or in pots/drums, or the immediate vicinity of the home. None are to be planted in the soil outside the home, except in the case of a walled-in or netted-in vegetable patch or walled gardens (maximum distance from nearest wall of the house is 2 metres). Only indigenous plants to the area are permitted in the soil outside the home or vegetable patch.

Planting trees: These MUST be Indigenous to the Mara region not to Kenya. Exotic Fruit trees are only permitted in your vegetable garden (see below the regulations for a vegetable garden) but they are the only non-indigenous trees allowed.

We ENCOURAGE you to stick with indigenous flowering plants and shrubs as they are in keeping in with the Naretoi philosophy of returning agricultural land to its natural state.

We urge you to keep a portion of your property wild and in its natural state to provide habitats, food plants and cover for the birds, insects and animals that live on Naretoi.

If planting exotic non –indigenous shrubs these will only be allowed within the following parameters:

1. That they are planted within 2 meters of your home – Ie not more than 2 metres from the wall of the building.

2. They cannot be TREES – only small shrubs or flowers will be allowed – maximum allowed height 2.5m.

3. Exotic plants may be in pots/drums, located within 15 metres from the home.

4. That they cannot be spread eg by water, wind,  animal,  root system or  other means.

5. That they do not include invasive lantana or an other exotic lantana species

6. That if they are a creeper/climber that their climbing is restricted to the walls of your house or pergola. They are not allowed to spread to other plants and thereby become visible to the rest of the property. (We discourage you from planting bougainvillea).

If you plant exotic decorative grasses that they remain within the 2 metre zone.

The 2 metre zone must be clearly defined by a small wall or rocks

1. You must ensure that poisonous/toxic flora is not planted or used anywhere on the wildlife estate or anywhere on home owners’ respective footprints.  Eg. Oleander

Lawns: Please make sure that you only plant non-invasive species of grass, a mix of local grasses creates a lovely green lawn as can be seen at House in the Wild and at plot 7. Please avoid grass such as Kikuyu grass that is invasive.

Vegetable garden and orchard: Home-owners may have an area to plant fruit and vegetables so long as it is in a clearly demarcated area near the home.  It should be aesthetically pleasing to the eye and not visible to other homes or from the communal areas. Greenhouses are not permitted.

River front homes: If you are landscaping the riverfront on your plot please do so sensitively and with consideration for the indigenous riverine forest. Any plans to landscape the riverbank must be submitted to both the Home Design Committee and also the Plant committee for approval prior to staring the work. The trees and plants along the river not only hold the soil together and prevent erosion, but also provide food and homes to a plethora of birds, insects, monkeys, bush babies, hyrax etc.  Please take great care to protect this important part of the Naretoi ecosystem especially the many beautiful well-established trees.  Any landscaping carried out MUST immediately be planted with grass and shrubs collected in the area that are suitably binding to prevent erosion.

 RIVER FRONT HOMES

Homes located along the River should be placed no closer than 30 metres from the river’s edge. This is due to Riperian land regulations, and the fact that the river’s edge/banks can collapse from time to time. Decking and other temporary structures are permitted closer to the river’s edge, but must abide by national regulations pertaining to the same.

MAXIMUM STANDALONE UNITS PER FOOTPRINT

Each home is allowed a limited number of standalone units (eg. Separate Rondavel type cluster homes) as follows, excluding staff quarters:

• Tier 1 ‘Enkaji’: 3 units

• Tier 2 ‘Boma’: 5 units

• Tier 3 ‘Manyatta’: 5 units

The above separate units must fall under the maximum total allowable floor space allowed according to the Tier of the respective footprint.

PETS

No pets other than dogs, cats (neutered if male cats) are allowed on the property unless agreed in writing by the Management. Dogs are to be accompanied at all times by owners unless they are inside the homeowners’ footprint. Homeowners are not to leave their dog(s) unattended at their home whilst away from the property for more than 12 hours, unless supervised by a competent member of staff. Dogs are to be under homeowners’ or house-staff control at all times.  Homeowners are required to keep their dogs quiet and to refrain from repetitive barking, and to prevent them from chasing wildlife on the estate.

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