When Suleiman Shahbal took to the podium to speak, you would have mistaken him for a preacher.
He was going to build his third affordable housing project on a 285-acre parcel of land owned had just partnered with the family of the late Vice President Jaramogi Oginga Odinga to build affordable houses on a 285-acre parcel of land owned by the late former vice president Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’s family.
Dubbed LV Marina the Sh40 billion project will comprise super luxury houses facing Lake Victoria, while the hinterland will have townhouses and apartments.
The parcel of land hosted the controversial collapsed molasses plant owned by the Odinga family.
Mr Shahbal’s audience, which included former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and son to Jaramogi, hung on every word that came from the mouth of Shahbal as if their entry through the gates of heaven depended on it.
He is a good storyteller, constantly using his personal story to tell the Kenyan story.
He said that he drew his inspiration to build decent shelters which every Kenyan, irrespective of their economic status, could call their own homes from his parents’ experience.
His parents, he recalled, paid rent for the 40 years they lived in Nairobi, having moved from Mombasa.
“And after 40 years they went back to Mombasa with their suitcases and their furniture after paying rent for 40 years,” said Shahbal, who is also a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (Eala) having been nominated by the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
“It is my dream, that before I die, I have built at least 50,000 homes that Kenyans can own, and say, ‘This is my home,’ instead of paying rent,” said Shabhal.
He noted that his target is only 10 percent of President William Ruto’s, which he put at 500,000 (though the President has talked of building at least 200,000 annually for five years, which takes his target to 1 million affordable houses).
“And if I can achieve that (target of 50,000 houses), the good Lord will forgive me for all the many sins I have committed on this earth,” he added.
Mr Shahbal, who unsuccessfully vied for the Governor of Mombasa in 2017, has increasingly taken the shape of President Ruto’s affordable housing programme.
But more than anything, he is a reminder that businessmen have no political affiliation except those that align with their bottom line. Way before Mr Odinga and Ruto had a truce following the anti-tax protests of June last year, Mr Shahbal had already cozied up to Ruto with whom they launched his second project in Ziwani Estate, Starehe Constituency.
The Sh20 billion Affordable Housing Project will see GulfCap Real Estate build over 6,000 units composed of one, two, and three-bedroom and shop typologies.
Shahbal started his journey of building affordable houses in Mombasa, in a Sh6 billion project through which the billionaire plans to build 1,900 housing units at Buxton Estate.
That was during the reign of retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, though the project is a partnership with the county government of Mombasa.
Towards the end of 2023, President Ruto launched Buxton Phase 2 which will involve both social housing, affordable housing and market units. This was even as the head of state handed over keys to 584 units of the Buxton Phase 1.
Through his company, GulfCap Real Estate, Shahbal said the Sh40 billion project would see the construction of 1,400 houses, commercial premises and social amenities such as schools, swimming pools, playing grounds.
As part of his goal to build cheap houses for the millions of poor and middle-class Kenyans, President Ruto hopes to attract private investors to help him deliver at least one million low-cost houses by the time he goes back to voters in 2027.
The government has plans to facilitate the building of 100,000 low-cost housing units through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model dubbed Constituency affordable housing programme.
Among the first PPP projects under the affordable housing programme was Shahbal’s project in Starehe.
“An investor is a person who believes in the country. I am encouraging other investors to step forward and partner with the government in this course. I thank you Suleim Shahbal. Some people get a little money and immediately run to Dubai to buy flats,” said President Ruto in March 2023 during the groundbreaking ceremony in Kariakor, Nairobi.
The 64-year-old politician grew up in the coastal town of Mombasa in an area known as Majengo Chura. As kids from a humble background, they played on the streets because they had no play grounds or swings.
He told the audience in Kisumu that the nearest swimming pool was in a school owned by an Asian where they could afford to swim once after three months.
But as he grew older, went to college in the US and later worked in places such as Dubai, where has had vast business interests, he noticed that even ordinary people lived in well-organized communities with the right social amenities.
That brought him his second dream: building lifestyles, and not just homes. “Our philosophy is not to build houses; our philosophy is to build a lifestyle. Whether you are rich or poor, your children will play in the best environment possible,” said Shahbal.
But the housing project, generally, has been controversial. In Mombasa, there are grumbles that residents who were moved to pave the way for the construction of Buxton Estate have neither been paid nor resettled.
