President Uhuru Kenya started an ambitious project called the Kenya Affordable Housing Project. Through this project, President Uhuru Kenyatta hopes to have constructed at least 500,000 affordable units by the year 2022 when he will hopefully retire.
But time is running out. The Son of Jomohas less than two years in office. Will the affordable housing dream ever be realized? At what speed should the government move to achieve this before Uhuru Kenyatta leaves office? More funds?
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While presenting one of the highest annual budgets in Kenya’s history, Treasuring CS Ukur Yatani allocated 13.9 billion shillings for the affordable housing project for the financial year 2021/2022. The project is still struggling to hit the target.
“The urban area has continued to face the housing problem and to ensure the success of this initiative, I have proposed an allocation of 13.9 billion shillings for the affordable housing project,” said Yatani.
3.5 billion shillings will go to the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company, 8.2 billion shillings for construction of affordable housing units, 500 million shillings for social housing units.
“The proposed allocations include 7 billion shillings to Kenya Affordable Housing Project 500 million shillings construction of Social Housing Units; 3.5 billion shillings to Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project – Phase II; 750.0 million shillings for the Housing Units for National Po-lice and Kenya Prisons; and 1.0 billion shillings for construction of markets,” he added.
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The government has been accused of sidelining the private sector in realizing the affordable housing program with many analysts saying that the government might not achieve the construction of the units within the set timelines.
At what rate will the houses be constructed to him the 500,000-mark? Will the houses go to the targeted Kenyans or it is just another cash cow for the rich in Kenya?