Govt Begins Construction of 2,000 Houses

An artistic representation of the 2,000-unit housing project under construction in Busia County
An artistic representation of the 2,000-unit housing project under construction in Busia County.
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The government is set to complete the construction of 2,000 housing units as it seeks to improve living standards of its employees and the residents of Busia County.

A report by Daily Nation on Sunday, February 21, indicated that the construction process had already began in the county and is expected to be completed in three years.

The Department of Lands, Housing and Urban Development in Busia County noted that the project was expected to cost Ksh500 million each fiscal year, totaling to Ksh1.5 billion.

Chief Officer for Urban Development Andrew Otiti, while speaking during a forum on Saturday, February 20, indicated that the project was part of President Uhuru Kenyatta's affordable housing plan.

Busia town hall
Entrance into Busia town hall.
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"The department is keen on constructing these units in line with the affordable housing pillar of the government's Big Four Development Agenda and the project requires the department to partner with investors for its implementation," he stated.

The county is also planning to put up a county plaza which will house the County Government offices. This was reportedly necessitated by the county's attempt to cut rental costs.

Otiti also noted that the construction of a Governor's mansion and that of his deputy was in the pipeline and was expected to cost Ksh168 million.

The construction of the latter two projects are also expected to take three years.

During the roll out of the ambitious project, Chief Officer in the Department of Lands, Housing and Urban Development Teresia Mbingi noted that the project was expected to utilise locally available materials, an intentional move geared towards benefitting local construction industry through public-private partnership.

“We already have land that is available at prime areas within the municipality. We are keen on using affordable and locally available construction materials such as interlocking blocks to come up with structures such as prefab homes and flats to accommodate more people,” she stated.

Mbingi actively participated in the design team that came up with the Mbagathi housing units in Nairobi.

An image of Affordable Housing Project
Apartments under the affordable housing project located at Park Road, Ngara in Nairobi.
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