Uhuru Kenyatta to flag off 500,000 affordable houses project

If all goes according to plan, the government will today break ground for the initial phase of constructing 500,000 affordable houses by 2022 under the ambitious Agenda Four blueprint.

The 1,500 units will be constructed on 7.9 acres of land along Park Road, Ngara, next to Park Road primary school and Muslim Academy. They will comprise 105 one-bedroom units, 540 two-bed-roomed units and 855 three-bedroom units.

The project will also include social amenities such as schools and day-care centres, shopping and recreational facilities.

The government will provide water and sewer lines, electricity only to the site boundary while the contractor will carry the cost of installing the services withing the site.

Demanding schedule

According to documents seen by Home & Away, the government has put pressure on the contractor to deliver 400 units within six months of construction.

“The (Ministry) is desirous in achieving a delivery requirement of 400 units within six months from the project start date. The units should have attained practical completion and should be ready for occupation,” states the tender document outlining technical proposals.

If built according to the specific requirements stipulated in the documents, the affordable houses will incorporate sustainable features that will limit any carbon footprint. These include energy and resource efficient installations, soft and hard landscaping and solar water heating.

Such green building concepts will be addressed through the design and construction phase, operation, maintenance, renovation and any possible demotion process.

The affordable housing program is part of the government’s efforts to reduce the housing back log that currently stands at two million units with an annual deficit of 200,000 units.

“The government is committed to collaborating with the private sector to facilitate delivery of housing that is accessible and affordable to Kenyans earning below Sh100,000 that were hitherto largely excluded by the private sector,” states the State Department of Housing and Urban Development.