The Nairobi government and the National Land Commission are trading blame over the delay in starting the ambitious Sh300 billion housing project.
The county has accused the commission of dragging its feet in processing land documents for the project.
But the commission instead has accused City Hall of allocating parcels where the houses are to be built to private entities.
The Public-Private Partnership Urban Renewal project to build 100,000 units was to begin in July last year.
The county government says it has written several letters to the commission, requesting it to extend leases for land where the houses are to be built and process allotment letters.
It says it has not received any response.
Renew lease for land project
In a letter to NLC chairman Muhammad Swazuri dated May 4 and seen by the Star, City Hall chief valuer Isaac Wanyoike says the commission has not responded to its letters, thus frustrating the project.
“The county government has forwarded planning briefs, original PPA2 forms and certified copies of head leases/titles in respect of extension of head lease,” reads the letter.
“We have also forwarded original deed plans ... to facilitate processing of allotment letters/new grants. However, despite our several correspondences and teleconversations, we have not heard from your office.”
In another letter dated March 1, county secretary Robert Ayisi appeals to the Lands director to extend leases for six sites for the project.
Allocated land to cronies?
But NLC vice chairperson Abigael Mukolwe denied the commission is frustrating the project and accused the county of allocating most of the land to individuals.
“They are the people who have allocated themselves and their cronies the land. They should not blame us for their problems. We are working very hard to repossess the land for them,” she said on the phone yesterday.
“Nairobi is a government, how can we refuse to renew a lease for a government? We are here because of them and we all want to see a new Nairobi.”
Phase 1 involves 14,000 units in seven old estates. This covers Old and New Ngara, Pangani, Jeevanjee-Bachelors, Ngong Road Inspectorate staff quarters, Uhuru and Suna Road.
Old houses will be demolished and redeveloped for more tenants.
The entire urban regeneration programme was to deliver 30,000 flats, equal to 100,000 housing units, to help ease the city’s housing crisis.
Kenya faces a supply gap of 150,000 and 250,000 housing units in urban and rural areas, respectively.
Private sector and national government only build about 50,000 annually.