Affordable Housing Programme in Nakuru got a major boast after President William Ruto allowed the hiving off of 100 acres piece of land from the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) idle land in Pipeline area.
Governor Susan Kihika said the development would change the face of Nakuru City while at the same time enhancing security by offering job opportunities to thousands of youths in the populous region.
She said her administration would build a city with ultramodern housing units, social amenities in addition to factories and industries on the land.
Speaking when she joined President Ruto, his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua, Cabinet secretaries and MPs during a development tour of the county, Kihika observed that there were many pieces of idle government land that could be used for development.
She thanked the President and Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen for allowing the county to take 100 acres of the 600 acre piece of land belonging to KAA.
The land had been set aside for an airport but environmental experts opposed its construction saying it (the land) was along the migratory route for flamingoes and other bird species.
Speaking in Nakuru on Saturday after commissioning Naivasha Economic Zone substation and handing-over the Bondeni Affordable Housing Programme, President Ruto promised to build decent houses for Kivumbini Estate residents who live in county government houses.
The President also launched the construction of Kiambiriria-Kuresoi-Chepsir Road in Kuresoi North subcounty.
“I know you live in small houses and pay monthly rent and I am going to change the story for you, I will construct bigger houses for you and give them to you at only Sh3,000. There will be no more monthly rent,” he said.
He said the project in Kivumbini will be pocket friendly and affordable to the residents who are mostly low income earners.
The President also promised to build 20,000 houses through the affordable housing programme in Nakuru City and other urban areas in all the other nine subcounties.
“Ten thousand of the houses in the proposed projects will be constructed within Nakuru City which covers Nakuru Town East and Nakuru Town West while the remaining 10,000 units will be in the other constituencies,” he said.
Nakuru Town East MP, David Gikaria said the Affordable Housing Programme in Bondeni employed more than 4,000 youths from his area.
“The main challenge in this area is joblessness and within the three years that Bondeni project has been going on, more than 4000 youths were employed and were getting weekly payments for their work, thereby uplifting their families,” he said.
He commended the President for revitalising the Kenya Industrial Training Institute saying that the college were churning out masons, plumbers, painter and other skilled graduates necessary for housing and industrialisation.
