Affordable Housing gains pace as Pangani tenants get units

Some 48 original tenants in Pangani on Friday were allocated units as the state's affordable housing programme gains momentum.

The allocation of houses marked a huge milestone despite challenges that have dogged the realisation of one of President Uhuru Kenyatta's Big 4 projects.

"This is a very special day as we have the 48 tenants who used to live on this land. They are here to select their houses as they were to be given the priority when this project is completed,” Nairobi Metropolitan Services deputy director in charge of housing Marion Rono said.

The programme has gained momentum across Nairobi with 25,026 units ongoing in various estates. The aim is to ensure decent and affordable housing to low and middle-income households.

Expressing confidence in the programme, the Housing and Urban Development department last week acknowledged the milestone achieved so far in Nairobi.

Ongoing is the Sh850 million Kasarani project which once complete will have 284 units.

Being a public – private partnership, the project is being undertaken by Centum Real Estate

“This is a perfect Public-Private Partnership where the land belongs to the government, the developer is a private party and the owners are Kenyans,” Hinga said.

The government is also on course to set up 5,280 units at Clay City in Nairobi.

The Pangani Housing Project undertaken by the Nairobi Metropolitan Service which is set to be competed in June next year will contain 1,562 housing units.

The first block of 18 floors is complete with construction of other blocks ongoing.

Selection exercise of the  units begun last Friday with the 48 original tenants choosing their houses.

David Sirma, representing Technofin which is the developer of the project, revealed that the apartments are divided into two, where the affordable housing ones have 952 units and the commercial ones with 610 units.

“All the affordable units are sold out and we have a few of the commercial ones remaining which are going for Sh9 million," he said.

For the affordable, a one bedroom unit was going for Sh1 million, two– bedrooms at Sh2.5 million and three-bedrooms at Sh3 million.

As part of the project, social amenities will also be set up within the compound.

Infrastructure services like water have adequately been addressed with sufficient water supply storage being factored in two level basements.

A basement parking in the courtyard with playgrounds on top will also be set up plus a playground and a supermarket.

Construction works on 1,900 units are underway at Jevanjee estates, formerly known as Bachelor Quarters. The land had been occupied by 81 houses.

Plans are also  underway to transform 55 repossessed acres along Enterprise Road in Industrial Area to an affordable housing project in Mukuru.

The  government has already moved to the site and construction work has already started to set up 12,000 to 15,000- units.

Soon to be launched

The national government will soon be groundbreaking the construction of 5,000 units in Kibera’s Soweto B and 3,000 housing units in Nairobi’s Shauri Moyo estate.

According to PS Hinga, the Kibera one will be the biggest social housing project undertaken in an informal settlement.

The project is part of the planned upgrade of the slum which has been divided into four zones and is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing.

 Zone B where 5,000 affordable housing units will be constructed.

The first phase of the project included Zone A which was completed in 2016.

Also awaiting is the first ever Transit Oriented Development  Housing Programme in Nairobi's Mowlem estate which will see the construction of 4,900 units.

The project costing Sh18 billion will be done in three phases with the government looking forward to ground break phase one at the end of the first quarter. 

Phase One will include 1,200 units, 2,000 for phase two and the balance of 1,700 units will be done in phase three.

The Mowlem development, is in Embakasi West's Mowlem ward that neighbours Dandora Station which is one of the stations built by government in partnership with Kenya Railways for the Nairobi commuter rail.

During the signing of the MoU of the project last Wednesday, PS Hinga said the location of the houses was strategic and that Kenyans can be exposed not only to affordable houses but also have access to rail transport which is of low cost and convince.

“The location is strategic for all residents and that means the transport is sorted. One can hope into a train, go do errands or report to work using the train,” he said.

Over the weekend, NMS announced that jointly with the county Government of Nairobi, it will soon break ground for 10 other projects for the affordable housing to deliver about 3,000 housing units.

The 10 consists of  estates  which are part of Phase two of Affordable Housing Programme include Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Bondeni, Ziwani, Embakasi, California, Kariobangi North and Woodley.

Still in Nairobi, we have the Park Road housing project having 1,370 units completed.

The Park Road project whose construction started in April 2019 is the first to be completed under the 500,000-unit AHP

The completed units were officially handed over to those who qualified through the Boma early last year with most homeowners already having moved into the houses.

Allocation for the Park Road project is a mixed settlement considered civil servants and non-civil servants on 60-to-40 per cent criteria.

Hinga said the 60 per cent (822 units) have been occupied by the members of police and Kenya Defence Forces.

The lowest price for the one-bedroom unit 30 sq metres is set at Sh1.5 million but there might be slight variation for projects not on government land but registered under the AHP programme through the Bomayangu portal.

The price for the one-bedroom unit (30 square metres) was Sh1.5 million, two bedrooms (60sqm) Sh3 million,  three bedrooms (60sqm) Sh3, 550,000 and three bedrooms (80sqm) Sh4 million.

The Affordable Housing Programme aims to ensure decent and affordable housing to low and middle-income households.

-Edited by SKanyara