Opposition mounts against Hassan Joho’s Sh90 billion housing project

Mombasa County Governor Hassan Joho. PHOTO BY MAARUFU MOHAMED/STANDARD

Opposition against Mombasa County Government’s proposed Sh90 billion housing project is growing, with critics now demanding it be put on hold.

Yesterday, human rights crusader and Catholic priest Gabriel Dolan said Governor Hassan Joho’s administration excluded key stakeholders in the project.

“The project as presented is designed to benefit the top 10 per cent of earners who can afford to rent or own luxury two and three bedroom apartments. The focus should be on low cost, affordable housing for the majority population,” said Father Dolan.

The Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK), Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar and Nyali MP Hezron Awiti have also criticised Joho, saying the project is a ploy to sell public land.

“The concept is ill conceived, a fraud and ought to be stopped failure to which we will move to court. Exhaustive consultations that meet the realm of public participation as enshrined in the Constitution must be undertaken,” said Omar early this week.

Yesterday, rights group Haki Yetu said the plan to redevelop the 10 estates was shrouded in secrecy and has to be put on hold until contested issues like funding, planning, land rights and ownership are addressed.

Haki Yetu, which operates under the auspices of Coast Land Non State Actors (CLNSA) said there was low public participation on the project which the county estimates will cost Sh90 billion.

Father Dolan, who is the group’s executive director, said the ambitious venture had excluded current occupants and 60 per cent of county residents in informal settlements.

“It is not clear how much each housing unit will cost, how it will be paid and over what period of time.

This information needs to be available before any private developer is given a contract,” he said.

There were no clear boundaries and policies guiding the project which is a joint venture between the county government and private developers, he said.

“How can we be guaranteed that this will not be a scheme to privatise public housing on public land?” he posed.

He said lack of involvement of the National Land Commission (NLC) raised suspicions of grabbing of public land.

On Wednesday, Governor Joho vowed the project will go ahead as planned.

The 10 estates earmarked for redevelopment include Khadija, Miritini Greenfield, Changamwe, Tudor, Mzizima and Buxton estates.

Others are Likoni, Nyerere, Tom Mboya, Kaa Chonjo and Kizingo estates.