Under the affordable housing project in Nairobi, the national government, in conjunction with the Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS), has begun a project for the construction of approximately 60,000 houses in Woodley, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Ziwani, Kariobangi, Embakasi, California, Bondeni, and Bahati estates.
The dwellings are anticipated to help alleviate Nairobi’s housing shortage, particularly in the Eastlands neighborhood, which is littered with old government buildings. This development comes only a few days after NMS revealed intentions to improve certain Nairobi estates. So far, 760 units in Kariobangi South, Buruburu, Jamhuri, and Kariokor estates have been renovated.
Promoting Affordable Housing through the Nairobi Housing Project
The affordable housing project in Nairobi is a project to build cheap buildings throughout the city, which was initiated in June 2020 to address the city’s demand for low-cost housing. On Wednesday, February 16, NMS Deputy Director of Housing and Urban Renewal Marion Rono indicated that the initiative is aimed at developing sustainable and affordable neighborhoods, which is part of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four Agenda.
She announced that all affordable housing units developed as part of this project, have been sold out. These units include the 1,830 Jeevanjee affordable housing projects one, two, and three-bedroom units and the 1,562 Pangani project units.
Reported earlier in:
Oct 2016
Kenya’s capital Nairobi moves to curb housing deficit
Nairobi residents are set to benefit from a housing project to be rolled out by the county government to ease the city’s housing deficit. Speaking during Mashujaa Day celebrations marked at the Starehe Grounds, Nairobi County Secretary Robert Ayisi said the county will construct 100,000 housing units starting in November to accommodate approximately 650,000 residents.
Dr. Ayisi said the project will cost Sh 3 billion.
The county secretary also noted that the redevelopment of old estates within the county is underway. Some of the estates marked for refurbishment are Old and New Ngara, Pangani, Ngong Road Inspectorate staff quarters, Jeevanjee/Bachelors, and Uhuru and Suna Road. Others are Bahati, Mbotela, Ziwani, Makongeni, Kaloleni, Jericho, and Shauri Moyo, which will be demolished and redeveloped to accommodate more home buyers.
March 2019
Kenya waives building approval fees for affordable housing projects
Kenya’s Nairobi City has waived building approval fees for affordable housing projects as a move to attract more investors into the city as it gears to achieve President Uhuru’s Big 4 Agenda on affordable housing.
Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko said the move by his administration will pave the way for the county and national government to start construction of housing units to meet the 200,000 set targets in 4 years’ time.
“My cabinet has approved waiving of building fees for all housing projects in Nairobi as our commitment to support affordable housing program. This applies to projects being undertaken by private investors, county and national government”, said the governor during a groundbreaking ceremony by Edermann Property in Ngara Estate where they seek to construct affordable houses.
Affordable housing
The affordable housing Programme aims to construct 500,000 housing units across the country by 2022. Nairobi will launch phase one of the affordable housing program this year in estates such as New and Old Ngara, Jevanjee, Ngong Road, Pangani, and Suna Road.
Phase two of the project will include Bondeni, Lumumba, Shauri Moyo, Bahati, Ziwani, Gorofani, and Jericho. President Uhuru Kenyatta will soon launch the national government’s affordable housing program on Park Road Estate, Nairobi.
The governor further commended the move by private investors to construct affordable houses in Nairobi urging them to utilize local skills and local materials in their projects to promote the Kenyan economy.
Sonko added that they have developed Nairobi County Housing Bill in order to manage all county houses and also Nairobi County Staff Housing Bill which will help the county in developing houses for its workers.
Nairobi City County Sessional Paper Number 1 of 2018
Nairobi County Government recently passed Nairobi City County Sessional Paper Number 1 of 2018 as a guiding framework for housing projects in the city conducted by either the government or private investors.
“This policy will help us carry our housing agenda and we will require all developers to comply and follow the guidelines stipulated in the session paper. The policy states how housing units will be shared, how tenants can be relocated, and how long projects should take, among others,” noted Governor Sonko.
Jan 2021
As part of the second phase of the affordable housing project in Nairobi, the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has earmarked 10 more County government estates for redevelopment. These estates include Bahati, Bondeni, California, Embakasi, Jericho, Kariobangi North, Lumumba, Maringo, Woodley, and Ziwani estates.
The NMS as the contracting authority has so far in a public notice, called for expression of interest (EOI) from development partners from the banking industry, pension funds and schemes, real estate, and other investors for a joint venture partnership in the project.
According to the NMS Deputy Director-General Kang’ethe Thuku, pre-qualification applications and attachments must be submitted in hard copy, not later than 12 noon of January 22, 2021, at the tender boxes marked “NMS A” and “NMS B” located at Exits A and B of KICC, Ground Floor.
“Firms will only be shortlisted for participation after demonstrating technical and financial capabilities in response to the requirements for the project contained in the request for proposal document, which will be circulated to only shortlisted firms upon evaluation of their submissions,” explained the NMS Deputy Director-General.
The first phase
The first phase of the regeneration project, which is ongoing, concerns Ngong Road Phases I and II, Uhuru Estate, New Ngara, Old Ngara, Suna Road, Pangani, and Jeevanjee/Bachelor Quarters.
The Pangani project began last year as the flagship project for the first phase of the regeneration project is aimed to put up between 10,000 and 12,000 housing units upon completion.
With Tecnofin as the developer and SS Malonza as the consultant, the Pangani project is expected to deliver the first 160 housing units come next month. The entire project comprises five blocks made up of 1,562 housing units and it will be fully completed by December this year.
According to Kang’ethe Thuku, this project is aimed at tackling urban decline, improving the quality of the built environment, increasing housing stock, promoting optimal utilization of land, and improving the quality of the social-economic life of residents.
Jan 2022
Nairobi to Be Home To 15,000 New Houses Courtesy Of Ongoing Mukuru Affordable Housing Project
The capital city of Kenya, Nairobi, is set to be home to approximately 15,000 affordable houses as a result of the ongoing Mukuru Affordable Housing Project that is being implemented by the national government on a 55-acre piece of land that was reportedly recovered from grabbers along Enterprise Road in Industrial Area.
The approximately Sh5 billion property belonging to the Kenya Meteorological Department, which is a non-profit making professional/scientific society that provides timely early warning weather and climate information for the safety of life, protection of property, and conservation of the natural environment, was recovered by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) that replaced the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission in the fight against corruption in government and the public sector, in 2020.
Justice Elijah Obaga, the Environment, and Lands Court Judge ordered the revocation of title deeds issued to five companies claiming ownership of the property and ordered the firms to be barred from trespassing into the property.
Implementation of the Mukuru Affordable Housing Project
According to Charles Hinga, the State Department for Housing and Urban Planning Principal Secretary (PS) the government has already moved to the site, and construction work has commenced with an aim to set up between 12,000 and 15,000 housing units that upon completion will make the area residents new homeowners.
“The first five blocks are currently under construction alongside internal infrastructure including a sewer line, drainage, and roads within the site,” said the PS adding that a fire station, shopping Centre, and kindergarten will also be constructed as part of the project that is expected to “provide direct and indirect employment to more than 100,000 youths as well as support suppliers of numerous locally sourced inputs.”
Jan 2022
Pangani Affordable Housing: 48 Original Tenants Choose New Units
The 48 tenants who lived at the site where the Pangani Affordable Housing Project is being developed recently selected new housing units at the project in an exercise spearheaded by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services.
The tenants, each of which received KSh600, 000 to facilitate their resettlement rent for two years as construction of the Pangani affordable houses continued, and promised to be given the first priority when this project is completed, will be a part of the first group of occupants that will take ownership of the new units.
Each of the tenants will be required to pay Sh8, 000 monthly for a period of 30 years, for the new units.
Pangani Affordable Housing project completion timeline
Tecnofin Kenya Limited, the developer of the project, through David Sirma, in charge of administration, gave a timeline for the construction of the 1,562 new units, 952 of which are for affordable housing while the rest (610) are commercial units that will be sold by the limited liability company.
Mr. Sirma said that the first block of the Pangani Affordable Housing project is approximately 99% ready, with only the installation of lifts remaining.
“Four more blocks will be completed and ready for occupation by September this year when the 48 tenants are expected to move in, and the remaining three blocks will be ready by June next year (2023).
