Plans are underway for the release of 5000 affordable housing units to the public by April 2025, Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public works, Housing and Urban Development Alice Wahome has said.
The CS said they were preparing the houses for handing over and commissioning to give Kenyans decent affordable housing especially the low income earners.
She added that they have so far constructed 140,000 affordable houses since they started as they aimed for 200,000 at the end of every year and 1 million in the next 5 years.
“Our mandate as government is to ensure Kenyans are living in decent houses and affordable housing becomes the programme to address the constitutional mandate in Article 43 that requires the state to provide Kenyans with decent affordable housing,” added Wahome.
Wahome made the remarks while addressing journalists in Machakos after the inspection of 220 affordable housing units in Machakos town that are 95% complete.
Additionally, she encouraged Machakos residents to view and purchase the houses through the Boma yangu platform which are for low income earners, mama mboga and boda boda operators who don’t require pay slips to own the houses.
With the affordable housing, the payment option allows Kenyans to pay for their chosen units under rent -to-pay arrangement ranging from Sh3000 to Sh7000 for up to 25 years.
She disclosed that they have so far received Expression of Interest from 600,000 Kenyans and are looking forward to sealing the deal.
Wahome revealed that some Kenyans may not realize the importance of the affordable houses but the moment they release them to the public, it will be a game changer and it will demonstrate how crucial the housing project is.
The CS urged Kenyans to ignore the naysayers who were against affordable housing since it has given employment opportunities to over 200,000 youths in Kenya as part of the government job creation initiative.
By Anne Kangero