Court cases push affordable housing completion to April 2025, says Lands CS Wahome

Kenyans eagerly awaiting to occupy the first batch of the affordable housing units under the government's ambitious project will have to wait a bit longer than expected.

The initial target for residents to move in by December 2024 has now been shifted to April 2025 due to ongoing court cases and legal challenges surrounding the Housing Levy.

This was confirmed by Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome during a visit to the Mukuru Kwa Njenga Social Affordable Housing Project on Saturday.

She explained that while the project is progressing, the litigation challenges have impacted the timelines.

"Our targets are slightly behind schedule because we intended to have 200,000 within the first year, but of course, you know the challenges we faced of court cases, litigation, and uncertainty on whether the court would stop the funding," Wahome said.

This delay comes after the courts ruled in favour of the government on October 22, when a three-judge bench found that the proper public participation and legal procedures had been followed in establishing the Housing Levy, which was initially challenged through six cases.

Construction delays

The legal victory cleared the way for the continuation of the project, though the delays in construction remain a concern.

The Mukuru project, part of President William Ruto's plan to address the housing shortage and improve living conditions, has already attracted significant interest.

As of now, 500,000 Kenyans have expressed their desire to occupy the first phase of the affordable housing units.

However, only 200,000 units will be available by April 2025.

Despite the delay, CS Wahome assured the public that the units would be ready soon after the court matters are resolved.

"At the end of April, we will have people living here. We are hoping that we will be able to complete the remaining units in the next 60 days," she said.

Initially, the government had projected that 99 per cent of the housing units would be completed by December 2024, with tenants expected to move in before the end of the year.

In September, the State Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Benjamin Njenga had reported that only finishing touches remained, particularly the installation of lifts and that units would be ready for occupation by December.

"The five blocks are ready, and we anticipate that by December, we will be giving out the units to the people of Mukuru," Njenga had said.

The Mukuru project, launched in 2022 along Enterprise Road in Industrial Area, is part of the government's broader initiative to build 100,000 affordable housing units to curb informal settlements and create employment opportunities, particularly for unemployed youth.

The project will include 26 blocks of bedsitters, 14 blocks of one-bedroom units, and 14 blocks of two-bedroom units, with rent prices ranging from Sh3,000 to Sh5,000 per month.

So far, the Mukuru project has employed approximately 160,000 Kenyans and has cost an estimated Sh7 billion from the housing fund.

CS Wahome was optimistic that, despite the setbacks, the project will provide the much-needed affordable housing and continue to contribute to the government's Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).