Affordable housing being one of President Uhuru kenyatta’s big four agenda, several County governments seem to be buying the head of state’s idea. Or is it just under the Prrsident’s program?
Well, Just recently, Governor Mike Sonko announced the kick off of the affordable housing project.
Going the same route, the county government of Kisumu has announced plans to build low-cost houses to help ease housing shortage.
Construction of the first phase of 3,000 units out of the targeted 10,000 houses will kick off in June, a senior department head said.
Kisumu needs nearly 45,000 new units each year to address its housing deficit.
The provision of affordable housing was part of Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o’s (pictured) campaign manifesto and he promised to rope in partners to build the units using cheap materials and modern technology.
The plan will see old municipal council bungalows flattened to make way for mixed, high-density residential homes in Arina, Argwings Kodhek, Kaloleni and Kibuye among other areas.
But experts have warned that even as the county moves ahead with its grand housing plan, measures need to be taken to protect residents who have been living in the targeted houses for decades.
The county chief officer in charge of Housing, Physical Planning and Urban Development Steve Gome said Kaloleni settlement had been identified as a model of the project, adding that as the first phase it had attracted funding from Indian and Turkish investors.
“We want to put up mixed typology settlements with bedsitters and one- and two-bedroomed units spread upwards. Mixed typology means we are going to have a varying range of income earners living together,” said Mr Gome.
Victoria Group, a local investment club made up of doctors, said they would be interested in building about 800 such units at Argwings Kodhek Estate.
The group is behind the Sh6 billion Victoria Level Seven Hospital whose construction in partnership with the county is awaiting the National Treasury’s nodGome said Housing PS Charles Mwaura was expected to grace the groundbreaking for phase one.