Nakuru affordable housing project set for completion in December 2023

The Government’s affordable housing programme continues to gain momentum as  Nakuru’s Bondeni project is set to be completed in December 2023.

The project will see the construction of  605 units where 45 will be one-bedrooms, 180 two-bedroom and 380 units three-bedroom.

Principal Secretary for the State Department of housing Charles Hinga noted that Bondeni Housing demonstrates the benefit of collaborating with the private sector to provide affordable houses to Kenyans.

Speaking in Nakuru on Saturday, he pointed out that the project’s developer Kings Sapphire Limited has taken the risk and committed to selling the housing units at agreed affordable prices.

“The State Department has partnered with a strategic partner, Kings Sapphire Limited where the government provides the land and the strategic investor provides the designs, finances and the construction project management expertise to complete the project," Hinga added.

The PS further revealed that the Civil Servants Housing Scheme which facilitates civil servants to access housing acts as the anchor tenant in the affordable housing projects developed by the government is purchasing 20 per cent of the units.

The Bondeni, Nakuru AHP project is the second project that the Civil Servants Housing Scheme is undertaking as part of its contribution to the affordable housing programme.

It is also the first foray in other counties as the intention was to catalyze affordable housing projects across the country.

"This project serves to demonstrate to Kenyans that the promise of affordable housing continues to be an important priority for the County Government of Nakuru even as it supports the Big Four Agenda,” Hinga said.

According to the State Department, an analysis of registered projects by the National Construction Authority, between 2017 and October  2021,  there have been 269 housing projects registering  224,000 units.

These projects have a cumulative contract sum amounting to Sh2.3 trillion representing a substantial investment in housing.

“Our promise has been to make changes in the housing sector and facilitate for the private sector to build more units whose prices are friendlier and accessible for a majority of Kenyans,” Hinga noted.

As part of the AHP, The government will soon launch  Mavoko Affordable Housing which will see the construction of 5,360 units, costing the government slightly above Sh20 billion.

Housing PS Charles Hinga said the project will take four years to complete.

In Mombasa, the County Government, with a private developer, has undertaken the Buxton Point housing development to contribute another 1,850 housing units.

For ongoing projects, in Nairobi County, there are Pangani and Bachelors Jeevanje which will produce 1562 units and 1900 units respectively.

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 projects that we have been able to sanction and break ground on have been on an uptick, and we remain confident that more will come online in the future, Hinga said.

The Affordable Housing Programme, which was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta is one of the pillars under the Big Four Agenda.

It is intended to provide decent and affordable housing to low and middle-income households.