State seeks experts for housing project

Principal Secretary Charles Hinga Mwaura when he appeared before the National Assembly Transport Committee. [Boniface Okendo/Standard]

The Government has started receiving applications for the development of cheap houses, a day after teachers joined the list of those disgruntled by the affordable housing project (AHP).

State Department for Housing and Urban Development (SDHUD) yesterday invited strategic partners with expertise in the construction of cheap houses, injecting life into President Uhuru Kenyatta’s ambition to build half a million houses in four years. 

“SDHUD now invites applications from interested and eligible strategic partners, including developers, investors, financiers and, or, consortiums, both local and international, with expertise in development of affordable mass housing to undertake projects under the AHP within the cycle period 2018-2022  through a specially Permitted Procurement Method,” read an advert yesterday signed by Principal Secretary Charles Hinga.

This comes as teachers said they would call for a strike if the Government goes ahead with its plan to deduct their salaries for the housing project.

The Federation of Kenya Employers and Cotu have also opposed the President’s legacy project.

Already, the National Assembly has approved the establishment of the Kenya Housing Development Fund, to which employers and employees will each contribute 1.5 per cent of gross salary.

While calling for applications, SDHUD said interested parties have to be conversant with the guidelines on how to implement, monitor and review the affordable housing project, known as AHP Development Framework Guidelines.

“Interested parties should be well-versed with the AHP Development Framework Guidelines, the list of projects in the AHP project pipeline as well as the guidelines and requirements set forth in the instructions to AHP Call for Applications for Strategic Partners,” read the advert.