Upgrade of 10 old city estates to start next month

The upgrade of 10 old old city estates is set to start next month. 

The estates are Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Bondeni, Ziwani, Embakasi, California, Kariobangi North and Woodley.

The re-development is part of the government's plan to offer better housing to Nairobians through the Affordable Housing Programme. 

Contractors will be on site next month.

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services has received expressions of interest from contractors and one has been identified to oversee the works.

"Hopefully early next month the contractors who have won the tenders will move to the site,"  NMS director general Mohammed Badi said.

In January, Badi’s lead team announced it will put up about 62,000 units in high- rise buildings for rent or sale in Eastlands in phase II of urban renewal. It advertised for expressions of interest that month.

NMS boss Badi said a second public participation would be held with tenants of the 10 estates before construction begins.

The first public participation was held by NMS City Hall in February.

“Our people have done public participation and it was successful. There will be a second series of public participation and after that we will start issuing out the awards for the contractors,” Badi added.

Compensation will be announced later.

The second phase is part of a public-private partnership project.

It aims to provide accessible, low-cost housing with reasonable standards of sanitation.

Most of the estates are are rundown, low-rise structures on large, unused land.

The new structures will be six to 16 stories, with one, two and three-bedroom units.

The Bahati Estate project will have 12,000 units in high-density buildings to replace bungalows on 50 acres.

Another 10,000 units will be constructed in Lumumba Estate, 8,000 units in Maringo 1,500 in Kariobangi North And 4,000 in Embakasi.

Bondeni will have 774 units, California 2,500 units, Woodley  6,000 units, Ziwani Estate 4,782 units — all in eight-storey buildings.

Phase One is on course and 1,042 units in Pangani estate are to be ready by December.

Some 1,562 units will distributed. A total of 952 affordable houses will consists of 128 one-bedrooms, 248 two-bedrooms and 576 three-bedroom apartments. They are expected to be ready next year.

The Sh25 billion Pangani estate is on 4.5 acres valued at Sh4 billion. It is being developed by Technofin, which will also develop Uhuru Estate, Suna Road, Old Ngara, New Ngara, Jevanjee and Ngong Road I and II – all targeted for upgrade.

(Edited by V. Graham)