Nairobi Metropolitan Services to renovate old Eastlands houses, build affordable new units by 2023

 

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) recently announced plans to start renovating some old estates in the county.

The exercise which will end in December 2022 will start with estates in Kariobangi South, Buru Buru, Jamhuri and Kariokor.

It is arguable that public participation was conducted as NMS says it alerted residents through door-to-door visits, informing them of planned renovations in the 2021/22 financial year.

According to the NMS, the exercise will be undertaken in Uhuru Estate’s 884 units and Outering Estate’s 360 units. They will be repainted to meet city standards.

Apart from the renovation of old estates, Director General Maj Gen Mohammed Badi recently said NMS had earmarked 10 estates where residents will benefit from the construction of affordable houses. The targeted estates are Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Bondeni, Ziwani, Embakasi, California, Kariobangi North, and Woodley Estate.

The government has been building affordable houses in Nairobi to meet the huge demand for cheap housing.

It has been spearheading a Sh5 billion housing project which will see the redevelopment of 1,562 houses in Pangani expected to be completed by June 2023.

The estate had 48 houses, which have now been replaced with eight blocks of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Out of the 1,562 units, 952 are for affordable housing while 610 are commercial and being sold by the developer.

City Hall may have reason to smile to the bank if it successfully completes the renovation of the dilapidated houses.

City Hall has for years engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with tenants on its 16,632 houses who delay in rent payment.

At one time last year, City Hall dispatched a notice to its rent defaulters to either pay or risk eviction.

The majority of the affected defaulters were in Pangani, Ngara, Jevanjee, Ngong Road, Maringo, Uhuru, Kaloleni, Jericho, Buru Buru, Kariobangi South, Jerusalem, and Ziwani. Tenants had by March 2019 defaulted on rent estimated at more than Sh224 million over five years.

County Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning Allan Igambi said in the notice that the arrears must be paid in full.

 

-          Harold Ayodo is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya