Nyandarua plans 2,000 low-cost houses

The Nyandarua County government has signed an agreement with the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to build 2,000 low-cost houses.

According to Nyandarua County Assembly Speaker Ndegwa Wahome, the executive has paid Sh44 million for a feasibility study on the plan.

Governor Francis Kimemia said the project is in line with the government’s affordable housing agenda.

Mr Kimemia said the pact will be implemented devoid of the tendering bottlenecks because it is a government-to-government procurement that does not require competitive bidding.

The governor said the units will be built in strategic towns, paying fidelity to “importance and economic viability”.

He said the county’s technical teams are on the ground identifying the towns to host the projects, saying they will be based on improving the urbanisation index that currently stands at about 20 per cent.

Mr Kimemia said the units, once set up, will house at least 10,000 people to access affordable and decent shelter.

He said the centre of his administration that is in OL Kalou will benefit, with some units to house county employees.

“The creation of Nyandarua County came with its challenges, since our main commercial hub, Nyahururu Town, was axed from our boundaries and placed in Laikipia County. We have been thrown into a situation of building our main town from scratch. We are committed to doing so even while lobbying to have Nyahururu reverted to us,” he said.

He urged all stakeholders in Nyandarua to support the project, terming it a good starting point in the rapid urbanisation drive that he has set as key to his first-term tenure.

He said the county assembly will be relied upon to execute oversight role in the project as well as other auditing arms of the central government.

“There should be no fears that this project will not be implemented. I am committed to prudent utilisation of the little development cash that we have. With this kind of pacts, we will source for more money from our development partners and build a kitty to develop Nyandarua,” he said.

Mr Kimemia urged the other arms of the county government to commit themselves to the development agenda and refrain from negative politics.

Already, Mr Wahome has dismissed the pact as a “fertile ground for corruption”, questioning why the assembly was not notified before it was signed.

The Speaker said the pact was suspect and the implementation time frame uncertain.

Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development minister James Macharia has endorsed such pacts as ideal for helping the nation achieve its housing-based development agenda.