Universities in Kenya plans to start building hostels to accommodate over half a million students in coming five years supported by public-private partnerships so as to curb the ever growing student housing crisis.
Many universities in the country are experiencing an acute housing shortage due to the large number of students flocking the higher learning institutions. Students’ accommodation shortage accounts for 40% of the national housing shortfall according to a research by real estate researcher Jumia House. According to the research, there are 280,000 bed space in universities against a student population of 769,000, a number that keeps raising. 2015 alone recorded a rise in students’ population by 80,000d as a result of the expanded enrollment for both government-sponsored and self-sponsored students.
The situation has put a lot of pressure on on-campus accommodation facilities prompting students to seek alternative accommodation in nearby private accommodation.
At the EAPI Summit in April, real estate investment management company JLL said due to this situation, student’s accommodation of a very powerful real estate investment tool. Data to be presented at the summit predict that PPP projects will be able to create half a million bed spaces for student in the coming five years.
Worldwide, PPPs have managed to solve the problem of students’ accommodation in countries like South Africa, Belgium, Egypt and India. It is hoped that PPPs will progressively help clear Kenya’s student’s admission backlog that has been growing since 1992.
Kenyatta University is one of the public universities leading the way in negotiation with the private sector. The university’s PPP program will help put up housing for additional 100,000 students at affordable process as well as eliminating transport cost that students incur to get to classes.
By living under the university premises, students have a humble time to study and fully utilize university resources and study tools like the library and internet services.
