Construction of affordable housing units in Bungoma now kicks off

Polycarp Onyango (left) hands over the Kanduyi affordable housing project to the contractor on Thursday. [Juliet Omelo, Standard]

The construction of more than 2,000 affordable housing units in Bungoma has officially begun.

President William Ruto unveiled the project during his February visit to the region, describing it as a game-changer for the area. The housing units, to be constructed in Musikoma Ward, Kanduyi Constituency, Bungoma County, were launched six months ago by the head of state.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday after handing over the project to the contractor, Polycarp Onyango, the Western region project lead, highlighted several ongoing development projects in Bungoma. "We have the construction of affordable housing units in Musikoma, the Kanduyi airstrip, the Chebukube market, the Kanduyi market, and additional markets in Naitiri (Tongaren), Chwele, and Kamukunywa," said Onyango.

Onyango commended Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka for providing land to construct the affordable housing units and markets. "I appreciate the strong relationship between the governor and the head of state. It will make our work here much easier as we aim to complete these projects on time," Onyango said.

However, Onyango urged contractors to prioritize hiring local labor and technical staff for the projects.

"The contractor has clear instructions: labor should be sourced locally unless it is unavailable," Onyango emphasized.

He added that the housing project is expected to be completed within 18 months, noting that the design phase took longer than anticipated.

Yasmin Jafari, a Micro and Small Enterprise Authority officer, encouraged local welders, carpenters, and fabricators to register with the authority to be eligible for work at the construction site.

"This project aligns with the President's Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda (BETA) to benefit local communities. Let's register and contribute to this effort," Jafari stated.