President Kenyatta will commission the first phase of Sh6 billion Buxton housing project in June, Housing PS Charles Hinga has said.
The first phase will have 582 units out of the expected 1,900 before completion of the project in 2023.
Priority will be given to initial tenants of the old Buxton Estate.
The first phase, which kicked off on May 1 last year, will be delivered just two months before the general election.
The project sits on a 14-acre prime parcel of land within the Mombasa central business district.
On Tuesday, Hinga said the government has reduced the mortgage interest rate to 9 percent to enable more Kenyans become homeowners.
He lashed out at those opposing some of the ongoing affordable housing projects across the country, saying those who are rushing to court to stop the projects have no interest of Kenyans at heart.
“For those running to court to stop this kind of progress, it does not make sense. You don’t represent us, you don’t represent the majority, you are representing your own selfish interest,” said Hinga.
He was speaking in Mombasa, Monday afternoon after touring the housing project.
Hinga was accompanied by businessman Suleiman Shahbal and the Buxton Housing Project CEO Ahmed Badhawi.
He hailed the ongoing works at Buxton, saying that it was going to bring back dignity to poor Kenyans who cannot afford decent houses.
He expressed his satisfaction with all the social amenities that will be included in the new estate once the project is completed by June next year.
Some of the social amenities include a clubhouse, swimming pool, hospital, commercial facilities, a court yard and green spaces among others.
“Affordable housing is not synonymous to poor quality, instead it is more about high quality but at a pocket friendly price,” said Hinga.
The PS called on local developers to visit the project for benchmarking and replicate the same in the various projects being undertaken across the country.
“The benchmark has been set, we cannot go backwards. You can only improve on what we have seen here,” he said.
Shahbal said that the project is expected to deliver high quality housing units at an affordable rate to all Kenyans.
“Our philosophy is very simple, we are selling a lifestyle and giving the people of Mombasa an indication of what a new Mombasa should look like,” said Shahbal.
At the same time, the government is planning to partner with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the National Housing Corporation to provide Kenyans in informal settlements with a tenant purchase scheme.
“National Housing Corporation is one of the institutions that provides a tenant purchase scheme, NSSF also has money invested in bonds. We have agreed that we shall purchase a certain number of units and we shall start providing the tenant purchase scheme,” he said.
Hinga said a total of 565,000 affordable housing unit projects spread across the country valued at Sh2.8 trillion had been registered to the National Construction Authority.
According to the NCA statistics, about 225,000 had received approval and were in various stages of implementation.
