CS defends proposed housing fund levy

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru. [File, Standard]

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Zachariah Njeru has defended the proposed Housing Fund levy, reassuring that no Kenyan will lose their money.

"The fund will create a long-term financing mechanism for housing in Kenya to ensure every Kenyan, including those at the bottom of the pyramid, have decent homes," said the CS who spoke in Kirinyaga on Wednesday during a visit to the Kerugoya affordable housing project site.

Mr Njeru said the government will ensure prudent management of the fund.

He said the fund will create a long-term financing mechanism for housing in the country so as to ensure every Kenyan, including those at the bottom of the pyramid, have decent homes.

"The fund will allow Kenyans who lack financial capital and have been shunned by banks a chance to own a home," he said.

Njeru said that the housing projects will significantly increase employment opportunities for Kenyans, both skilled and unskilled, during the construction phases.

"We are requesting the contractors to employ local people and use local materials. We also encourage jua kali artisans to come up and provide as many components as possible," Njeru said.

He said that the affordable housing project has 69 standardised components for uniformity and that so far 36,000 units are already under construction.

Kirinyaga Deputy Governor David Githanda said the county government had identified land across the county for the next phases of the affordable housing project.

The county government projects to have at least 1,000 low-cost housing units.

The first phase of the project in Kirinyaga will comprise 100 units.