Nairobi’s lower class dwellers risk losing the opportunity to own the Affordable housing project a report by Nairobi County Assembly’s Land Committee has revealed.
According to the report, private investors control more of the housing units in key project areas, undermining public ownership and access.
The data reports that in the Pangani development with a total of 1,562 units, only 333 are county-owned, with the remainder under private developer control. Elsewhere, the Jevanjee project has seen private entities acquire a significant portion of available units, relegating public ownership to just but a small fraction.
Despite earlier commitments by the former government to improve slum conditions through affordable housing initiatives, recent developments raise concerns about the efficacy of these measures.
The reported has further listed a number of challenges delaying the housing development project including the fluctuating value of the Kenya shilling, the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, Political instability and the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war.
“With regards to the current status of the project and the expected date of completion as per the contract, the committee was informed that the Jevanjee estate is at 46 per cent completion and it is expected that project is completed by September 2026,” the report reads in part.
Persistent administrative issues have also led to the snail paced progress of the project with complications surrounding the land tittle deeds at the centre of it all.