Shelter is a basic human right as captured in Article 43 of the Constitution. President Uhuru Kenyatta put Kenya on the path of economic development with the announcement of the Big Four agenda, which includes food security, manufacturing, universal healthcare and affordable housing.
Under the affordable housing plan, the government aims to deliver one million units in the next four years; 20 per cent of these will be under social housing and the rest under affordable housing. Social housing units will sell for Sh800,000 (one room) and Sh1,050,000 (two rooms). These units are reserved for people earning below Sh15,000.
In Nairobi, social housing will include slum upgrading and redevelopment of old council estates. There have been fears, however, of eviction of tenants. Affordable housing units will cost between Sh800,000 and Sh3 million, according to the Big Four blueprint.
It should not be lost on us that Kenya has had similar plans before. For instance, Kenya’s first medium-term goal (2009-2012) of the Vision 2030 strategy targetted to increase housing production from 35,000 units annually to 200,000 for all income levels. However, the Kenyan delivered a paltry 3,000 units during that period instead of the target 800,000, according to the World Bank Economic update of 2017. This begs the question of whether the delivery of affordable housing will be a reality this time round.
Kenya is among the most urbanised countries in Africa. The country's population is projected to double by 2025. It is estimated that Kenya has a housing deficit of two million units, with 61 per cent of city dwellers living in informal settlements. This deficit continues to grow annually as rural-urban migration rises due to perceived employment and business opportunities in the city and towns.
According to the National Housing Corporation, the housing deficit grows by 200,000 units per year driven mainly by rapid population growth of 2.6 per cent per annum compared to the global average of 1.2 per cent. Only 50,000 units are built annually.
Due to this mismanaged supply and demand, house prices have skyrocketed by 100 per cent since 2004, leaving those who want to own houses at the mercy of landlords, who increase rent arbitrarily.
At the heart of this loud confusion is a lack of proper communication from the authorities. Kenyans living in old council estates have been left to glean information from newspapers, which carry different stories of project groundbreaking and relocation notices every other day. Citizens deserve systemic and structured public participation involving themselves, and the national and county government authorities and the project developer. There is need for relocation notices giving tenants a minimum of three months to move out. Evictions, if they are to be done, should be in a humane manner.
People are also voicing the need for proper documentation of the original tenants before the relocation so they don’t return later to get new occupants in their houses. They would like to have written legal documents assuring them of security of tenure.
Also there is need for proper planning to not only build houses but schools, hospitals, social amenities, police posts and create spaces for playgrounds. It has to be a community that promotes peaceful coexistence and a meaningful dwelling place. More than just a house but a home.
Executive director, Governance Pillar Organization