Kenyans will buy the planned 8,000 low-cost houses to be put up in Mavoko sub-county at between Sh1 million and Sh1.5 million.

Transport, Urban Infrastructure and Housing Cabinet Secretary James Macharia said this is aimed at enabling low-income earners access the two and three-bedroom houses near their workplaces.

He said the 55-acre land set aside for the project will accommodate stand-alone units as well as communal houses in multi-storied structures.

A number of contractors will be tasked with delivering the units in the shortest time possible, at the lowest possible price, using various building technologies while maintaining high quality.

“Some 60 contractors expressed their interest in putting up the houses under an Engineering and Procurement Contract (EPC) that allows them to build and deliver houses to government.

“We have since shortlisted 35 local and international firms that will be allowed to participate in the tendering process expected to commence shortly,” the CS said.

Pilot project

The Mavoko structures are a pilot project for the planned national rollout of a housing plan targeting the low-income urban workers.

The CS said social housing will be priced at between Sh500,000 and Sh700,000 a unit.

The project could offer serious competition to the housing boom enjoyed by small housing development firms, real estate investors, Saccos and bank-fronted projects dubbed ‘gated’ communities, whose units are sold at premium prices of more than Sh3.5 million.

The Mavoko contract, Mr Macharia said, will see several building technologies introduced in the country for mass housing unit builders.

Funders

A local consortia of funders, makers of building materials and housing developers will also join the fray.

NSSF is among the local firms that have expressed interest in participating in the mass housing development.

NSSF’s corporate communications manager Christopher Khisa confirmed it had responded to the government’s call for private sector and other corporate agencies to participate in the provision of low-cost housing.

A study by non-governmental housing organisation Habitat for Humanity Kenya has endorsed the project saying provision of land by the government would address a major impediment to home ownership in Kenya.

The ministry is also planning to set up 10,000 units to clear up slums in informal settlements part of its social housing mission.

Macharia said the social housing project will be fully executed by the national government – with the assistance of the National Treasury – while the 1 million house project will include private sector players’ participation.

“The social housing project will be executed within the slums. This is mainly because there is a vast majority of slum dwellers who want to remain within those locations. We are also considering the issue of lack of land. With proper utilization of technology, this is will be possible.”

The National Housing Corporation, a parastatal under the Ministry of Housing, will contribute 6,000 houses to this ambitious target across 8 counties over the next three years.

NHC chairman Francis Gitau Mungai said the parastatal will also construct housing estates with a combined 5,000 units on Eldoret (Uasin Gishu County), Stoni Athi (Machakos County) and Changamwe (Mombasa County) and another 1,000 units in Voi (Taita Taveta County), Kericho, Kisumu, Meru and Nyeri Counties.

“We are cognizant of the fact that majority of Kenyans are yearning to access decent and affordable housing,” Mungai said, with conventional estimates showing Kenya has a shortage of close to 2 million houses.

Mungai says among the issues that face the sector is the availability of land and utilization of new technology.

“There’s also a need to have supporting infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water. Regardless of how good the houses we put up can be, things such as good roads are extremely important,” the Housing CS said.