Residents of Bahati estate in Nairobi will not pay house rent for the next two years. President William Ruto speaking at a past event. President William Ruto promised to allocate money for the dwellers of public houses, who will be replaced, to pave the way for the affordable housing project. Is there affordable housing compensation plan? Ruto said that, under the affordable housing project, he would build close to 12,000 housing units at Bahati Estate. “There will be no eviction. The government will give every resident a place to stay as affordable houses are built. We will pay your rent for two years, and once we are done, you get back to your house,” said Ruto during a church service in Bahati on Sunday, March 24. Ruto assured the over 400 residents of Bahati that they would possess affordable housing units, which would accommodate other Kenyans. How many affordable houses will be built in Nairobi? The head of state said the county government will build the first lot while the national government builds the second and third lots. “Our plan is to make sure that by the end of this year, we have over 50,000 affordable housing units under construction in Nairobi alone,” he said. He revealed that the government banks on Makadara sub-county, which has the largest allocation of public land, and plans to build over 30,000 units on the space. How much is lowest contribution to affordable housing? Ruto noted that Kenyans will be allowed to pay for the mortgage slowly until they completely own the house. “I commit that in the next five years, we should have a million new homeowners in the country,” he affirmed. The president signed the Affordable Housing Bill 2024 into law in March 2024, which requires all persons earning an income in the country to contribute. He unveiled plans for the government to offer Affordable Housing to ordinary Kenyans, with monthly rents as low as KSh 3,000.
by Wycliffe Musalia