Kitui Affordable Housing project reaches 75 per cent completion

By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

The development, which comprises 166 housing units, includes social housing units with one- and two-roomed houses, as well as affordable units featuring one- and two-bedroom apartments.

The project is expected to provide residents with access to decent and affordable housing, while creating employment and stimulating economic activity in Kitui town.

Speaking to the press during a site visit by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaders, the project's site manager, David Malai, said construction was progressing well and that the project would be completed before the end of the year.

Malai said supporting infrastructure, including a power house, garbage collection facilities and an underground water tank, was also being put in place to support the housing development.“At the moment, this building has reached 75 per cent completion and we are hopeful that by the end of this year we will have completed it. The other amenities needed to support the project are also ready,” Malai said.

The UDA leaders, led by Kitui South MP Rachel Kaki Nyamai, urged residents to support Government development programmes and take advantage of projects being implemented in the county.

Dr Nyamai said the National Government had not forgotten Kitui County in the implementation of its affordable housing programme.“More than 200,000 affordable housing units have been built across Kenya. The President never forgot Kitui County and made an effort to establish this project of more than 160 units,” she said.

She urged residents not to be swayed by politicians opposed to the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that development projects should be supported for the benefit of local communities.“I urge the people of Kitui County not to be confused by politicians who claim they will support the people when they are elected. We do not know when that opportunity will come. 

Let us take advantage of the opportunities and projects we have from the national Government and protect them,” Dr Nyamai said.»

Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) Commissioner Ben Muasya said the project had contributed significantly to employment creation and increased circulation of money within Kitui town.

Muasya said more than 200 young people from Kitui County had secured employment opportunities during the construction period, while local businesses had benefited from the supply of construction materials and other services.“We should not just look at this as a building. It is a demonstration of how job opportunities are created. More than 200 youths from this county have been working on the project, while businesses have also benefited from the supplies they provide,” Muasya said.

He estimated that about Sh500 million spent on the project would remain within the local economy through wages, procurement of construction materials and other services.

State House Director of Coordination Boniface Musambi said construction had progressed despite challenges posed by the rainy season earlier in the year, saying the Government was committed to ensuring the project was completed before the end of December.

He also encouraged residents of Kitui Central to visit the site and familiarise themselves with the housing units and the process of acquiring them once they become available.

The project forms part of the Government's wider affordable housing programme aimed at increasing access to decent housing while creating employment opportunities and stimulating economic growth.