State urges real estate developers to boost housing program

The government has encouraged real estate developers to work hard to meet the country's housing demand.

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development CS Alice Wahome said 250,000 houses are needed every year in the country.

However, she said meeting the target has been a challenge to the government and that's why they resulted to unveil affordable housing programme.

She said President William Ruto's government was committed to supporting and working closely with home developers since they were addressing the housing demand in the country.

"The government is ready to work with investors who are talking about affordable housing in the country," she said.

CS Wahome spoke during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Muzi Salama Green Housing Project at Tilisi area in Limuru constituency, Kiambu county.

She urged the contractors to hire skilled people to design houses for them so that they can get quality homes.

The CS assured the investors that housing was an investment where supply is safe since a lot of people were looking for houses.

IHS Kenya managing director-capital and investor relations Peter Mayavi said they were planning to build 240 homes in the area this year.

He applauded the government for the move that saw the reduction of the cost of cement and steel in the proposed 2024-25 budget which was tabled in Parliament by Treasury CS Njuguna Ndungu on Thursday.

"As people continue to criticise the budget estimates, as contractors we are happy that the prices of cement and items like steel will go down" Mayavi said.

"This issue will help us a lot to build more affordable houses at reduced prices," he added.

CS Wahome asked Parliament to pass the proposed budget next week to enable government collect the revenue needed to fund some of its projects.

“The government has better plans to improve this country from creating employment for the youths, repairing and constructing of roads, working in industries and so on,” she said.

“We are calling on the Parliament to discuss the proposed budget and give the government the Finance Bill that will enable the state collect revenues that will enable it achieve all its plans,” the CS added.