President Uhuru Kenyatta is expected to commission the first phase of the Sh6 billion Buxton Housing Project in June this year.
This is according the Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga who toured the project on Monday afternoon.
The PS was accompanied by the project owner businessman Suleiman Shahbal and the project Buxton Housing Project CEO Ahmed Badhawi.
Addressing the media after the tour, Hinga said that the president himself was going to hand over the keys to the first 582 units with priority given to the initial buxton residents.
“People are used to seeing the president commission starting projects, but this time he will personally be here when the first phase is done to commission the houses,” said Hinga.
Hinga expressed his satisfaction with the ongoing works at Buxton saying that it was in line with the president’s big four agenda on affordable housing.
He hailed the quality of works being done in the houses saying that the project had set standards for local developers to come and benchmark.
“Going by the works I have seen here today, the benchmark has been set and we cannot go backwards. Affordable housing is not synonymous to poor quality, affordable housing is high quality but at a pocket friendly price,” said Hinga.
The PS took issues with those going to court to stop some of the housing projects in the country saying that they were propagating their own selfish interests at the expense of the common citizens who are expected to be the biggest beneficiaries of the projects.
He called on the people to be weary of the people and not allow themselves to be dragged into their selfish agendas.
“There are those who have been running to court to try and stop this kind of progress, for sure it does not make any sense. You people don’t represent us, you don’t represent the majority, you are only representing your own selfish interest,” said Hinga.
Hinga said that the ongoing works at the Buxton housing project was going to bring back the dignity to poor Kenyans as they will be able to become homeowners.
He further revealed that the government was going to partner with NSSF and the National Housing Corporation to offer a tenant purchase scheme at a rate of 3 percent to Kenyans working and living in the informal
“We have even reduced the mortgage interest rate a single long term digit of 9 percent to enable more Kenyans access mortgage plans." he said.
Adding "We are also in talks with NSSF and the housing corporation to purchase some units to be able to offer Kenyans a tenant purchase scheme."
Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal who was given the project expressed confidence that the first phase would be ready before june this year for the president to commission.
He further stated that phase two would be completed on time by June next year.
“Our objective from the very beginning was to deliver to the people Mombasa at least 2,000 apartments of high quality with all the social amenities, giving the people and indication of what a new Mombasa should look like,” said Shahbal.
