Over 550,000 Kenyans have registered for ownership of affordable housing units in the country, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has announced.
Wahome said the number has surpassed the number of housing units that the government plans to establish in the first phase of the project.
Speaking on Friday in Murang’a county during an inspection tour of development projects, Wahome noted that the government has already constructed 124,000 units.
“These are the units that are either complete or are ongoing,” Wahome said, noting that the plan is to deliver 200,000 housing units every year.
Further, Wahome said the Kenya Kwanza government has plans to ensure one million housing units are constructed before it's tenure is over.
This, she said, is an indication that the uptake of government programmes is high despite a number of Kenyans registering their opposition.
"Do not take seriously those who are dismissing these projects because you may end up losing while others benefit," Wahome said.
In Murang'a county, the government is in the process of constructing 220 housing units that will include 100 two bedroom units, 60 three bedroom units and another 60 one bedroom units whose prices will range from Sh1 million to Sh3 million.
The houses are being built at Makenji area along the busy Kenol Thika highway and a few kilometres from Thika town.
Wahome also oversaw the groundbreaking ceremony of another 1,910 units that will be constructed on the land ceded to the county government by fruit processing company, Delmonte.
Under the programme, the state will construct 10,000 units in the county in the next five years.
The houses will be built in Kangema, Gatunyu in Gatanga constituency, Kiriaini in Mathioya, Kabati in Kandara and Kangari in Kigumo.
The programme, she said, will provide employment opportunities to about 5,000 youths in the county and over 165,000 in the country.
