Gov’t Starts Building 15,000 Affordable Houses in Mukuru Slums

The national government has commenced the construction of about 15,000 affordable houses in Mukuru slums in Nairobi.

The houses are being put up on a 55-acre parcel of land that was recovered from grabbers along Enterprise Road in Industrial Area. The Sh5 billion property belonging to Kenya Meteorological Department was recovered by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in 2020.

Environment and Lands Court Judge Justice Elijah Obaga ordered the revocation of title deeds issued to five companies claiming ownership of the property.

Housing and Urban Planning Principal Secretary Charles Hinga says the project dubbed Mukuru Affordable Housing targets area residents to be new homeowners.

He indicated that the first five blocks are currently under construction, with the government working on the internal infrastructure including a sewer line, drainage, and roads within the site. A fire station, shopping centre, and kindergarten will also be part of the project.

“The project will provide direct and indirect employment to more than 100,000 youth as well as support suppliers of numerous locally sourced inputs,” said Hinga.

The project is part of President Kenyatta’s affordable housing program under the Big Four Agenda.

In 2017, the Nairobi county government declared Mukuru slums, which hosts almost half a million people, a Special Planning Area (SPA). The declaration, which was extended for a further two years by the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS), put a stop to any further developments in the area to allow for the undertaking of slum-upgrading initiatives.