Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced a bold urban renewal plan targeting at least nine estates within the capital as part of efforts to modernise the city's housing infrastructure.
Speaking during a Sunday Service at the Church of Christ in Africa in Makadara, Sakaja emphasised the need for urban redevelopment in preparation for future population growth in Kenya's capital.
“We are redeveloping nine estates starting with Woodley, Kariobangi, Ziwani, Bahati, and Jericho," Sakaja said.
Other estates which will undergo urban renewal include Lumumba, Bondeni, Buruburu and parts of Embakasi, with Sakaja saying the renewal will go a long way in reclaiming Nairobi’s dwindling residential capacity and ensuring equitable access to housing.
The Nairobi County government first announced the urban redevelopment programme on its website, stating that it planned to construct affordable apartments on the county's former estates in an effort to address the growing demand for decent housing for everyone.
According to the notice, the Nairobi County government launched a public engagement campaign to get stakeholders' opinions on the aforementioned projects in the particular estates.
The governor was especially critical of Nairobi's elderly estate dwellers for their staunch opposition to the government's plans for urban renewal.
Using the example of Woodley Estate, Sakaja described the scope of the impending urban change. “Today in Woodley, where there were 43 houses, I'm building 1,975 houses,” he said. “But if you refuse and stick with these houses, what will happen to the rest of Nairobians?”
The governor further called on Nairobi residents, particularly those living in county-owned houses, to pay their dues, alleging that some unscrupulous tenants had arrears spanning as long as 10 years.
He added, “Tell me how you can have a half-acre, 3-bedroom for Ksh17,000, and you haven’t paid rent for 10 years?” Sakaja posed, describing such scenarios as unsustainable since smooth county operations largely hinged on revenue from avenues such as housing.
During the same church service, President William Ruto urged for leniency and warned the county government against implementing forceful evictions, despite Sakaja's intention to crack down on rent defaulters.
Instead of evicting the defaulters from their homes, Ruto urged Sakaja to redirect county funds to talks with them.
Before urging the governor to negotiate with the defaulters to break the impasse, the president also chastised them for not paying the rates that the Nairobi County administers.
