Long accustomed to the concept of "flying toilets", the tenants will have flush toilet in their three-roomed flats. Flying toilets are polythene bags full of human waste that are flung out of homes as there are no toilets. For the residents, a majority who live on less than Sh70 a day and are either unemployed or eking out a living in the sprawling slum selling groundnuts, sukuma wiki or illicit brew busaa, it will be a dream come true.
The houses-which are part of the Kibera slum upgrading project-have been built by the Government at cost of Sh495 million and are expected to be ready for occupation by May.
Housing minister Soita Shitanda yesterday said the programme was aimed at addressing the issue of slums in Nairobi. It will also be replicated in other urban areas soon.
The three-room flats, Mr Shitanda said, would be sold at a cost of Sh800,000 per unit.
"Although the move is likely to be opposed by some landlords, it is the only viable way that the slums will be phased out in Kibera and other areas while economically empowering the residents," the minister said.
Those who will be allocated the houses will be allowed to sub-let them to tenants to enable them repay their loans.
"I would like to reassure Kenyans that the houses will be occupied by bona fide residents of Kibera slums who were previously occupying one-roomed mud houses," said the minister.
Mr Shitanda went on: "My ministry has already carried out a census on bona fide residents and we plan to assist them in moving into their new houses once they are ready for occupation."
The minister was addressing journalists during a whistle-stop tour of various housing projects being constructed in Nairobi by either the Government or the National Housing Corporation. He was accompanied by Assistant minister Betty Tett, Permanent Secretary Tirop Kosgey and NHC chairman Bosire Ogero.
Mr Ogero said the corporation would strive to assist the Government in addressing the huge housing deficit in Nairobi and other towns through the construction of modern but affordable houses.
Yesterday, Mr Shitanda said the Government had set aside Sh1.4 billion for the construction of 852 houses for Government employees in Kileleshwa, Jogoo Road and Ngara estates in Nairobi.
"Majority of the houses-about 700-will be built in Ngara estate and will either be sold or let to civil servants," he said.
The minister added that it was the Government's intention that all civil servants working in Nairobi are housed before the programme is spread out to provincial and district levels.
At the same time, Government has initiated a programme to fence-off and rehabilitate all houses countrywide.
Fielding questions from journalists, Mr Shitanda said the earlier controversy over the occupation of the three-bedroom NHC Pumwani houses in Majengo slums had been resolved.
"Families that had been allocated the houses initially declined to occupy them claiming the Sh10,990 monthly rent was prohibitive. However, they later agreed to move in after the corporation asked them to sub-let one or two rooms to assist them in monthly repayments," said Mr Shitanda. The 160 housing units, which the corporation sold at a cost of Sh1.1 million per unit, have all been occupied now.
Earlier, speaking at the upmarket Kileleshwa area, Mr Shitanda said the Government was currently constructing 16 housing blocks near the Kileleshwa police station.
"Once these houses are complete by June, the Government plans to sell them to civil servants at a cost of Sh3.5 million per unit. Taking into consideration that the prevailing market value for such houses built by private investors is currently between Sh7 to Sh8 million per unit, the Government offer remains the most affordable," he noted.Mr Ogero said the Government had allocated NHC 19 acres last week where 700 houses will be built in Lang'ata area near Kibera.
"My Corporation plans to build about 600 houses during phase II of this project in which one unit will be sold at a cost of Sh3.2 million," he said.
Source: The Nation
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