Nairobi County gov’t tenants to get free affordable housing units - Governor Sakaja

The Senate has temporary stopped the implementation of the Urban City Regeneration Plan that is being undertaken by the Nairobi County government until all the issues raised by the residents of the affected estates are addressed.

The roads, transportation and housing committee gave the orders to allow the Senate to deal with a petition by residents of three estates of Ofafa Jericho, Lumumba and Maringo, which has been pending before the Senate for over a year now.

The committee that also fined Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja Ksh.500,000 for consistently missing committee sittings, said it was prudent that the issues being raised by the residents of the 13 counties are heard and determined before the implementation of the project starts.

“The committee orders that the city county halts the development of the 13 estates until this matter is concluded by the committee,” ordered committee Chair Karungo Thang’wa amid protestation by the Governor.

“The people of these 13 estates fear that they are being left out, and that they will lose out on their homes, it’s only fair that that we deal with what they are raising before the project can take off.”

Governor Sakaja however pleaded with the committee to vary the ruling, claiming it will affect contractual obligations of the companies that have already signed a contract with the county government.

Sakaja told the committee that the city had already signed 7 contracts with different firms to develop 7 estates in the city, saying that halting of the project will be counterproductive.

The earmarked estates for demolition and redevelopment are Woodley, Jericho, Ziwani, Maringo Kariobangi North, Bahati and Lumumba.

“It was not going to start in any case until we deal with these issues, but giving a blanket order that we stop the implementation is going to have a lot of negative contractual issues, because the contractors must look for money from both local and international markets to finance the projects,” he told the committee.

“What I can assure you is that there won’t be any evictions in the next three months, we must deal with all these issues that are being raised. I was born a bred in this city and in a government house, I understand how emotional this thing is, and we will deal with all the concerns being raised.”

Sakaja also allayed the fears by the residents of the estates and promised that they will be signing a Memorandum of Understanding to be given a house once the project is complete for having been loyal to the county over the years.

"These tenants have been paying rent for 40 or even 50 years. They have been very loyal tenants, from parents to their children; now they will be able to own the houses," he said.