Affordable housing public participation meet flops

President William Ruto lays the foundation stone of the Kanduyi Affordable Housing Project, Bungoma County, on February 1, 2024. [File, Standard]

A public participation meeting on thew planned construction of affordable housing and a smart city at the Red Cross hall in Kanduyi, flopped after the conveners failed to show up.

The State Department of Housing and Urban Development through the county director of housing had invited residents to give views on the proposed project.

A letter by the convener indicated the event would have been a public consultation meeting and stakeholder engagement for construction of Kanduyi Airstrip (Smart City). Affordable housing project with associated social amenities and infrastructure.

It read in part: “The State Department for Housing and Urban Development, the implementing agency for the Affordable Housing Program has planned to undertake the construction of the Affordable Housing Project at the former Airstrip located in Bungoma town.”

Agitated residents at the venue accused the government of failing to honour the meeting and vowed to resist the project. Led by Zachary Barasa, they alleged that some powerful forces in the government have a motive to grab the said piece of land for their own interests.

They vowed to fight the matter in the court of law should the government fail to heed to wananchi grievances. “No public participation has been done, and there’s a court order stopping any development on the said piece of land until the case is heard and determined. Leaders should hear the voice of Kenyans and put development according to how the majority of Kenyans want and not just imposing projects on them without conducting public participation,” Barasa noted.

Rose Matere, a resident, said they will not allow the government impose projects on them. “To our leaders, don’t tell us about Luhya unity, but what we want to hear is Luhya development and how Kenyans are going to benefit,” Ms Matere noted.