Counties

NMS inches closer to cheap home deals

badi

Nairobi Metropolitan Services chief Major-General Mohamed Abdalla Badi. FILE PHOTO | NMG

The Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) is in the final stages of identifying partners for the redevelopment of county-owned estates under the affordable housing programme.

The second phase of the regeneration of 10 county estates in Nairobi seeks to put up 60,000 highrise rent or buy affordable housing units.

The project involves the redevelopment of estates including Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Ziwani, California, Bondeni, Kariobangi North, Embakasi and Woodley.

The government entity is implementing the first phase, which is on course to deliver 1,562 and 1,830 housing units in Pangani and Jeevanjee estates.

The public-private partnership project, which was mooted in January last year, will provide accessible and adequate low-cost housing with reasonable standards of sanitation to meet the huge demand for cheap homes.

Most of the identified estates are low-rise housing units occupying large chunks of land and NMS said the project is aimed at addressing the deficit in Nairobi.

NMS director-general Mohamed Badi said the project will be implemented in phases with the initial developments taking place in open spaces within the estates to minimise disruptions and ensure a seamless transition.

He said the project will comprise mixed-use developments and units will be let out on a rental basis as well as home ownership under the affordable housing concept as well as open market sale.

“NMS will employ the whole of government approach and is currently in the final stages of identifying the development partners as guided by the law,” said Mr Badi in a public notice.

He assured the present tenants that demolitions will only happen once alternative housing has been completed.

Further, the NMS boss said measures will be put in place to preserve historical and heritage sites currently existing within the estates.

“NMS, therefore, seeks to inform and assure the public that the projects will be undertaken in a participatory, open and transparent manner guided by the Nairobi Integrated Urban Development Master Plan as well as the Eastland’s Urban Renewal Plan,” he said.

Another 10,000 units will be constructed in Lumumba, Maringo (8,000), Kariobangi North (1,500), Embakasi (4,000), Bondeni (774), California (2,500) and Woodley Estate (6,000).

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