Move by State to build affordable houses to Kenyans commendable

Recently a human rights watchdog Amnesty International criticised the government over the forceful eviction of 7,000 families from the Kariobangi Sewage Estate in Nairobi.

The eviction came after government warnings regarding the need to clear the area for public health reasons.

Evictions are painful since many families lose their, livelihoods and homes. In this particular case, questions have been asked on whether it was right to execute demolition orders, considering a court ruling to suspend the exercise.

We hope that the government will get to the bottom of the matter and hold those responsible into account.

To ensure the government assists those who lost their homes, an ad-hoc Senate committee led by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja has been formed.   City residents have been providing help to their brothers and sisters affected by the demolitions.  

Although many have criticised the demolitions, many others have absolved President Uhuru Kenyatta of any responsibility for this.

Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who has criticized the demolitions, said he was sure that the Head of State was not briefed about the demolitions.

Since the unveiling of the “Big Four” development agenda, the president has been advocating for affordable housing.

At the launch of a housing project in Machakos County, President Kenyatta said: “This is a happy moment for me. I say so because for the past one and a half years, we have been working diligently to formulate an implementation plan to usher Kenya into an era of affordable and decent housing and, indeed, I see the light at the end of the tunnel”.

A further 400,000 units will be ready by 2022.

Understanding the high cost and complexity of building, the government has put in place a number of measures to support the construction sector. 

This includes repurposing municipal and governmental lands for housing projects.

This will significantly increase affordability of homes. It is also a creative way of circumventing the high cost of land.

To encourage the private sector’s involvement, the government offered a 50 per cent reduction of normal corporate tax rate for contraction firms building 100 or more units.

The government also waived fees associated with building, including National Construction Authority fees and county government development levies.

Billions of shillings has been allocated towards the construction of affordable houses. Affordable housing is a basic right of every Kenyan family.