• Each displaced household given cash for 12 months' rent.
• The construction of the Pangani project to cost is Sh25 billion.
Image: MAUREEN KINYANJUI
Each household in the area earmarked for affordable houses project in Pangani will receive Sh600,000 to relocate as construction work begins.
The money, according to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, will be used to pay rent for their temporary houses in the next 12 months.
Technofin Kenya has been contracted to redevelop 1,434 units in Pangani. Land for Phase One is valued at Sh4 billion and the construction will cost Sh25 billion, says a report tabled in the assembly for adoption in March 2019.
“The current tenants will all be allocated a new house, each at a cost of Sh3 million to be repaid over a 30-year period with a negotiated monthly rent of Sh8,000,” he said.
County Lands, Housing and Urban Planning CEC Charles Kerich said that all cheques are ready for the 48 affected households.
“Some already took their cheques with them. We gave them package documents for them to read and in our next meeting this week, we shall get to hear their views and make any amendments where necessary,” Kerich told the Star yesterday.
Heads of the households and their lawyer, Wangong’u Ndichu, met Governor Sonko on Thursday last week over the progress of the project.
Ndichu was optimistic that the project will be a success and benefit Pangani residents.
“So far we are impressed with the deal and the issuance of tenant purchase agreement documents for my clients. But we are appealing to the county to consider the tenants while allocating the houses,” he said.
Acting Assembly speaker Chege Mwaura, who is also the Ngara Ward rep, applauded the executive for putting into consideration the concerns of residents.
“I’m sure the project will be implemented to completion. This is a golden opportunity for all of us to own affordable houses in Nairobi,” he said.
The affordable housing programme is part of the government’s efforts to reduce the housing backlog that currently stands at 2 million. It is anticipated that 200,000 units will be built annually in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Big Four agenda.
The national government targets to build 500,000 houses across Kenya by 2022.
The groundbreaking ceremony date for the Pangani project is yet to be announced.
(Edited by O. Owino)