Government to revive 1988 collapsed 2b housing project in Wote

Part of the Sh2 billion housing project the Government started in 1988 before in stalled in Wote Town, Makueni County. [Stephen Nzioka, Standard]

The national government will soon revive a Sh2 billion housing project in Wote town, an official has said.

Housing and Urban Development PS Charles Hinga said this was just one of the projects the Government would revisit to address the issue of limited housing.

The project in Wote was started in 1988 but stalled and has since been vandalised. 

"In line with the President's directive that we not start new projects when existing ones have yet to be completed, we want to ensure these houses are completed in the next few months. We will also ensure such projects elsewhere in the country are completed before any new ones are started," Mr Hinga said when he toured the site at the weekend.

He added: "As we embark on this affordable housing agenda, we don't want to do things the way they have been done in the past. We want to fix the mistakes we made in the past as we move forward."

Hinga said while affordable housing was a key agenda of the Jubilee administration, the Government was not keen on building houses.

"The business of the Government isn't to build houses. Our major role is to facilitate the private sector to construct houses for our people. We want to end this habit where a simple project takes 30 years to complete.

He said the completion of the houses in Wote would be done through public-private partnership. "Investors are already lining up and we are ready to provide them with permits and grants and any other support,” he said.

Guidelines on how the programme will be rolled out were to be released yesterday, according to the PS.

He said they would give an opportunity to small scale traders to supply construction materials.

"We will standardise everything. For instance, the size of the doors and windows will be the same. We will also ensure less bureaucracy so we can move with speed," said Hinga.

Area County Commissioner Maalim Mohammed said the project would have over 200 housing units and Government employees would be given priority.