President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday met lawmakers and Cotu officials to discuss the roadmap for affordable housing.
Deputy President William Ruto and the Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general Francis Atwoli, senators and MPs attended the meeting at State House.
Housing is a key pillar in the President’s Big Four agenda. The steps the state is taking to deliver the envisaged 500,000 house units in the next five years
was explained.
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The meeting discussed ways of lowering the cost of housing. Escalating cost of land, providing of supporting infrastructure, anchor legislations and financing were discussed.
Uhuru urged the leaders to be actively engaged in the project because Kenyans deserve good quality and affordable houses.
“Let us make Kenyans’ dreams of owning decent houses a reality”, he said.
The lawmakers who attended the meeting were drawn from the National Assembly committee on Transport, Public Works and Housing and the Senate’s Standing committee on Roads and Transport.
Housing is largely a devolved function.
The Head of State commended the 22 counties that have already signed up to the programme. He urged the remaining ones to come on board.
“I am happy that more county governments are joining the programme after a meeting with the Council of Governors”, Uhuru said.
Transport CS James Macharia said the meeting was part of ongoing stakeholder engagement and public participation.
This is both a constitutional requirement and international best practices, he said.
“To avoid mistakes of the past, we are engaging all stakeholders by starting with the top leadership of the country. We will go to the grassroots to seek support from all Kenyans,” CS Macharia said.
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DP Ruto urged leaders to support the housing programme by drumming up support in the constituencies, counties and among workers.
“As leaders, we have a unique opportunity of resolving the housing challenge which has eluded us for over 50 years by championing this programme,” the Deputy President stated.
Ruto said by providing land and
supporting infrastructure such as water, sewerage services, roads and electricity, the state is on course to achieving affordable housing.
Kenya has a housing deficit of 1.9 million units. There is an annual demand of 250,000 units against a yearly supply of 50,000 houses.
House ownership in Kenya is an expensive undertaking.
The state aims to provide cheaper houses for the urban poor, rural communities and the middle class.
The Principal Secretary in the State Department of Housing Charles Hinga said the affordable housing project would be unveiled in Nairobi and progressively rolled out to other counties.
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