Greed and ignorance among tenants in Nairobi’s old and rundown estates are threatening to stall the County government’s Sh78 billion low-cost housing project.
County Lands and Housing executive Tom Odongo said most tenants are making unreasonable and unjustified compensation demands before they can vacate the seven estates earmarked for construction of modern units.
The first phase of the urban renewal project will see more than 100,000 housing units put up across the city at a cost of Sh300 billion. However, Odongo was optimistic the public-private partnership project will soon kick off once the modalities to thrash out all the contentious issues with the tenants are resolved.
He said the construction of 14,000 new housing units in Old and New Ngara, Pangani, Jeevanjee-Bachelors, Ngong Road Inspectorate staff quarters, Uhuru and Suna Road is unstoppable.
City Hall also plans to set up more than 100,000 housing units in Eastlands estates of Kaloleni, Shauri Moyo, Makongeni, Ziwani and Pangani. Some houses in these estates are as old as 60 years.
The ageing estates will be demolished and redeveloped to accommodate more home buyers. The project was scheduled to kick off in July but failed after disagreement between residents and the county.
Odongo said the cost of the housing units will depend on the socio-economic status of the residents, adding that the development will include rental houses as well as those to be mortgaged at a cost lower than current market rates.
“This is a consensual project and tenants must be compensated to look for alternative accommodation before signing the MoU,” he said. Residents want to be paid to look for alternative accommodation with the same specifications, as the ones they currently use.
The project is estimated to take 18 months. Once the new apartments are built, ownership priority will be given to Nairobi residents. Odongo said negotiations and compensation will be concluded by next month to allow the construction to begin.
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