Lang'ata residents reject Ruto's mega affordable housing project

President William Ruto lays a foundation stome during the commissioning of the construction of 154-unit Diani Affordable Housing Programme in Ukunda, Kwale County. With him is Lands, Public Works and Housing CS Alice Wahome and Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani. [PCS]

Controversy has rocked the Affordable Housing Project around Southlands Estate in Lang'ata Sub-County ahead of its official launch by President William Ruto.

The residents staged protests on Saturday, claiming they woke up the roar of earthmovers in their once tranquil neighbourhood without any prior consultation or involvement.

Residents told the Sunday Standard that they were only informed that land was earmarked for the project.

The Lang'ata Southland Residents Association argued that the area is a controlled zone and that no public participation was carried out so that they could voice their views.

"We just discovered an upcoming project being carried out without any public participation, which is a constitutional right. As residents of Lang'ata, we were not consulted," explained the Association's chairman Fred Kimathi.

The Sh25 billion project sits on a 37-acre piece of land along the Southern Bypass, where residents say the open space had been set aside for public utilities.

"This is also blatant land grabbing because the units are being put on public land that had been set aside for recreational facilities and other utilities," the chairman added. According to the plan, the houses will rise up to 17 floors, with various unit sizes in what was once a serene neighbourhood.

"Once the houses are ready, it means over 70,000 people will be moving in, yet greater Lang'ata, with a population of about 50,000, is already grappling with water shortages, drainage issues, and other challenges. That is why we are complaining," said Kimathi.

He added, "We will also lose our privacy, yet many residents have put all their savings into acquiring these homes. At the moment, there is no public playground because the nearby Uhuru Gardens was taken."

An engineer on-site said they were deployed to begin the project in preparation for its official launch by the Head of State next week.

"We are already on the ground, and the work will take about two years to complete. We are divided into five groups, and the project is valued at approximately Sh25 billion," he explained.

However, in a letter addressed to area MP Felix Odiwuor, the area Deputy County Commissioner, and copied to Governor Johnson Sakaja, among other leaders, residents raised concerns that the project poses security risks and health hazards.

"Lang'ata is designated as a controlled development area, with estates designed for homeowners who have invested heavily in their maisonette and bungalow homes, which do not exceed a certain height," they stated.

"The residents of Southlands Estate have, since its inception, spent millions of shillings through loans to invest in their homes, with the legitimate expectation that they and their children will have a clean and safe environment to live in," their letter added.