Govt to prioritize construction of houses in industrial areas

The government will prioritize the construction of houses under the affordable housing agenda in areas with a high rate of industrial activities.

According to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Housing and Urban Development, James Macharia, the government plans to put up decent houses to replace shanties in slum areas.

Macharia says the government plans to leverage on the upcoming inaugural UN- Habitat Assembly to be held in Nairobi later this month to push the affordable housing agenda.

CS Macharia, says the government intends to construct more affordable housing units in urban areas known to have high rates of industrial activities with the main aim being to address eradicate slums.

Besides the Memorandum of Understandings signed by Kenya and development partners including the United Nations Office for Project Services- UNOPS, the government plans to implement a range of infrastructural projects to accelerate sustainable urbanization.

Kenya has at least 498 slums which the government plans to eradicate using a number of initiatives such as the slum upgrading programme and the affordable housing agenda.

According to the United Nations, all humans have the right to live in decent dwellings and hence commitment by the UN-Habitat ensure this is achieved.

Already the UN-Habitat is constructing 10,000 affordable housing units in Mavoko, Machakos County whilst the United Nations Office for Project Services is building another 10,000 housing units in Lukenya.