Chandarana Foodplus Signs as Anchor Tenant for New Tilisi Mall

Chandarana Foodplus has been named the anchor tenant for a planned shopping mall at Tilisi, the 400-acre mixed-use development located off the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

The supermarket’s entry adds a major retail operator to Maisha Developments’ plans for a commercial centre within Tilisi. The mall is expected to form part of the wider amenities serving residents and businesses in the development.

Maisha Developments is developing the commercial project on a 3.3-acre parcel within Tilisi. According to Tilisi Developments, the planned mall will also include a recreation park and is intended to be the first development of its kind within the master-planned community.

The project is expected to be completed in late 2029, according to information cited in the material announcing Chandarana Foodplus as an anchor tenant.

Plans for the wider Tilisi development also include additional commercial and community facilities. These include a fuel station and a clinic, which are part of the broader mix of services planned within the development.

Tilisi is designed as a mixed-use, mixed-income development incorporating residential, commercial, logistics, educational, healthcare and recreational uses. The development has invested in internal infrastructure, including paved roads, street lighting, stormwater drainage, water supply and sewerage.

The development is located about 30 kilometres from Nairobi’s central business district and has direct access from the Nairobi-Nakuru highway. Tilisi also has connections to the Western and Southern bypasses, giving the development access to several parts of Nairobi and its surrounding areas.

The master plan is built around the concept of a walkable community where residents can access everyday services without relying entirely on long-distance travel. Its facilities include residential developments, schools, commercial spaces, parks and recreational areas.

Tilisi Developments says its residential component includes different housing formats, ranging from low and medium-density developments to apartments. Developers already operating within the master plan include Maisha Developments and other residential projects.

The planned mall will add another layer to the commercial activity taking shape at Tilisi. The development’s commercial allocation covers retail and other uses, while a separate logistics park caters for industrial and logistics businesses.

Chandarana Foodplus has an established presence in Kenya’s retail sector, with branches in Nairobi and several other counties. The supermarket describes itself as a Kenyan-owned chain that began operations in 1959.

The supermarket currently operates outlets in locations including Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru, Nanyuki, Naivasha and Diani. Its planned presence at the Maisha Developments mall will give the project an established retail operator from the outset.

The announcement comes as Tilisi continues to expand beyond its original land development model into a more complete mixed-use community. The wider development currently has residential, commercial, educational, recreational and logistics uses operating or planned within its master plan.