Kirinyaga County to build 200 affordable house units in first phase

Governor Anne Waiguru. [File, Standard]

Kirinyaga is set to launch the affordable housing project for low and middle-income earners.

With preparations for the commissioning of construction of the houses in high gear, the county has demolished old buildings belonging to the defunct County Council of Kirinyaga to pave way for the project at Kerugoya town.

The project will be a joint venture between the county and the National Government through the National Housing Corporation.

The county government will provide land for the project, offer joint technical advisory to meet the construction standards, especially in the context of climate change and urban resilience; and improve design and community participation.

Governor Anne Waiguru said that the county will be putting up between 500 and 1,000 units at Kerugoya, Sagana and Wanguru towns where demand for houses is very high.

"The affordable housing project will reduce pressure on farming land that has led to families subdivide their land into plots to sell to people who want spaces to build homes,"she said.

Waiguru said the project will encourage more young people to move away from the farms to urban areas.

"We want to encourage our young people to move away from the farms so that we can leave larger tracts of the land for agricultural production," said Waiguru.

With the Kerugoya Medical Complex set for operationalisation in a few weeks, Governor Waiguru anticipates there will be increased demand for affordable houses for medics, civil servants and other middle-level income earners.

Speaking during the demolition of the old houses, Transport, Public Works and Housing CEC Jared Migwi said the Kerugoya project will be put up on six acres of land and is expected to hold about 200 units.

He said the demand for residential houses in Kirinyaga is high especially in major towns where there has been an unprecedented increase in people migrating from neighbouring counties to settle in Kirinyaga.

"We are pulling down these dilapidated houses to pave way for new modern and decent houses that will change the face of Kerugoya," he said.

Migwi said apart from bridging the demand and supply gap, affordable houses with help mitigate the high cost of living and improve people's standards of living.

"We will mainly be targeting the young professionals working within our urban areas because they need to have affordable and decent housing," said Migwi.

He also called on more investors and well-wishers to join hands with the county and national government in funding the project, so as to hasten the process.

At Sagana, the affordable housing project will target workers at the upcoming Industrial Park.