- Phase 2 of the Buxton Point project will have 1,500 units in 16-storey blocks.
- Already, Ruto said, 178 out of 290 subcounties have been given the green light to construct the units.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
President William Ruto will this afternoon break ground for Phase 2 of the Buxton Point affordable housing project and the neighbouring Mzizima estate.
The President will first officially hand over to the owners the completed Phase 1 of the Buxton Point which has 584 units at 3 pm before breaking ground for Phase 2 at 4 pm.
He will then move across the road to the neighbouring Mzizima estate, which housed Mombasa county government workers, where he will also break ground for the development of the new units.
This comes as his dream of affordable housing for Kenyans starts attracting attention across the continent.
The African Union on Tuesday praised Kenya’s bid to construct affordable houses for Kenyans who may not be able to own high-end houses.
GulfCap Real Estate, the developer at the Sh6 billion Buxton Point project and the Sh20 billion Starehe Point project in Nairobi, was awarded the Most Promising Emerging Affordable Housing Developer title in Windhoek, Namibia.
The award by the African Union for Housing Finance (AUHF) took place at a gala dinner during its 39th annual conference.
Zambian Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development permanent secretary Prof Albert Malama presented the award to GulfCap Real Estate, which was represented at the event by head of investment, sales, and marketing Martin Kariuki, chief development officer May Waihenya and chief accountant Mahmoud Al Bakry.
GCRE Chief Executive Officer Chris Ochieng attributed the award to the company's commitment to providing affordable and high-quality housing solutions.
“This award is a testament to our dedication to making affordable housing accessible to a broader spectrum of the population, thereby contributing to the overall growth and development of the African housing market,” Ochieng said.
President Ruto, who began a five-day tour of the Coast on Wednesday, is expected to arrive at Buxton at around 3 pm after a tour of Kwale county where he will commission an electricity mini-grid in Wasini island and also break ground for the Shimoni fish port in Shimoni.
He will then issue fisheries community in Shimoni grants to enhance their businesses before joining King Charles III and Queen Camilla at the Mtongwe Navy base in Mombasa at noon.
The President has been championing the affordable housing project as one of his pet projects.
His administration allocated Sh35.2 billion towards the affordable housing programme in line with his plans to deliver 250,000 affordable housing units annually to Kenyans.
Already, Ruto said, 178 out of 290 subcounties have been given the green light to construct the units.
Phase 2 of the Buxton Point project will have 1,500 units in 16-storey blocks.
The units are currently on sale and construction, once started, is expected to take two years to be completed.
The AUHF Affordable Housing Awards is aimed at identifying and showcasing developers, financiers, NGOs and local government departments breaking new ground in the affordable housing sector.
AUHF promotes the development of effective housing markets and the delivery of affordable housing across Africa, working in the interests of the members and the industry as a whole.
GulfCap Real Estate was awarded for delivering its flagship project, the award-winning Buxton Point project which was handed over to its owners recently, becoming the first private developer, in partnership with the government, to deliver an affordable housing project in Kenya.