Nyeri Residents Demand Greater County Representation on Affordable Housing Board
Nyeri, Kenya – Residents of Nyeri are calling for increased representation of county governments on the Affordable Housing Board, advocating for changes to the current structure as discussed during a public consultation on the Affordable Housing Regulation 2024.
According to Kenya News Agency, the present board configuration, which includes only a single representative for all 47 counties, does not sufficiently address the diverse local interests. Ndirangu Gachunia, the CEC of Lands and Physical Planning in Nyeri, emphasized the need for more direct involvement from County Executive Committee Members responsible for housing. “We feel that County Executive Committee Members in charge of Housing are not involved in this process and at the county level, we don’t expect that the board will come and manage the affairs of the county,” Gachunia stated.
The Affordable Housing Act establishes the Affordable Housing Board to oversee the development of a government project aimed at constructing 200,000 houses annually, with a goal to build at least 200 affordable units in every constituency. The board is comprised of a non-executive chairperson appointed by the president, the National Treasury Principal Secretary, and nominees from the Organization of Trade Unions and the Federation of Kenya Employers. The Council of County Governors nominates a representative, but Gachunia argued this is insufficient for effective local governance involvement.
Gachunia also advocated for a clear legal framework during land administration to prevent potential litigation. “The county government is the custodian of public land on behalf of the citizens of Nyeri. We are asking that the process annexing public land be followed to the letter to avoid future litigation,” he explained.
Albert Gakuru, the regional lead of the Affordable Housing project, reported that 350 housing units are under construction at Blue Valley in the Nyeri town constituency. However, residents expressed concerns about the security of tenure for these new housing developments, referencing past demolitions of government houses in Nairobi. Kimunyu Ndegwa, a local resident, questioned the future safety of these homes: “What assurance do we have that years to come these affordable houses will not be demolished by a different administration?”
Additionally, the residents raised issues regarding the succession rights within the Affordable Housing project. Thomas Mundia highlighted a gap in the legislation, noting that the Act restricts ownership to one unit per individual and lacks provisions for familial succession. “The Act prohibits an individual from owning more than one unit. It should state what should happen if, say, a parent wants their child who may be the owner of a unit under the Affordable Housing project to succeed them,” Mundia suggested.