Machakos Governor Ms. Wavinya Ndeti is calling on private investors to construct more housing structures in Machakos in an effort to fulfil the government’s agenda of providing affordable housing to Kenyans.
Speaking Wednesday during the launch of the 5th Phase of the Great Wall Gardens apartments in Athi River, Ndeti noted that the county is endowed with undeveloped land which is available for more housing projects of a similar magnitude.
“I call upon more investors to partner with us in furtherance of the government’s housing agenda. My administration is fully committed to working with the national government and private investors towards the provision of affordable housing for all the citizens,” said Ndeti.
“Every family should be able to own or rent a decent house. I am glad to join the Erdemann fraternity on this auspicious occasion of launching of the Great Wall Gardens domiciled here in Mavoko municipality,” added Ndeti.
The county boss noted that the great initiative by Erdemann Properties Limited (EPL) goes a long way towards the fulfilment of the national development goal on housing delivery, adding that the government is keen on welcoming private investors to complement its efforts towards the provision of affordable housing.
She noted that Mavoko sub-county has seen an upward surge in housing development over the last 15 years which has been necessitated by growth in urbanization mainly to provide housing for people working in the greater Nairobi Metropolitan area.
Ndeti lauded Erdemann EPL for being associated with this growth by setting foot in Mavoko with the construction of the first phase of Great Wall apartments in 2009. “I note with satisfaction that EPL has continued to construct more houses since then, and I laud them for the launch of the construction of Great Wall apartments Phase 5, “said Ndeti.
“Mavoko is currently the fastest growing municipality in Kenya, as the capital city’s industrial activities are expanding in the direction of Athi River along the Nairobi – Mombasa highway corridor,” added Ndeti.
The county boss noted that real and perceived employment opportunities in this expanding industrial area have drawn people from all over the country without proper housing development plans in place leading to a rapid emergence of informal settlements around Mavoko.
She noted that water being a devolved function, her administration will support Mavoko Water and Sewerage Company Limited to enhance the water pipeline distribution system specifically for Syokimau, Katani and Mlolongo areas.
“We will also desilt Kasuitu and Stony Athi in order to harvest more water.
Ndarugo dam will be the long-term solution for water in Mavoko, Kangundo and Kitengela Sub Counties. Once completed, it will be able to supply 50,000 cubic metres per day to Athi River Sub County,” she disclosed.
She pledged that the county government will fast track the approval of the proposed Mavoko sewerage infrastructure so that the county can move to the next phase of the implementation and construction of the sewerage.
On his part, EPL Managing Director, Mr. John Zeyun Yang said that since inception, the company has built over 5,980 residential housing units with a majority being constructed in Machakos County which is a no mean achievement.
Yang noted that the company is aligned to the government’s Affordable Housing initiative and will work to improve living conditions and ensure availability of affordable housing in the county and the larger Nairobi Cosmopolitan area.
“Erdmann’s Mission is to provide decent and affordable housing to middle and low-income earners and our Vision is to see a Kenya where every family is in a position to own or rent a decent house,” he said.
“Today we officiate the ground breaking of GWG5 which will comprise of 1,205 units and once completed, it will bring our tally of completed houses to over 7,185 units,” he explained.
He lauded the county government for creating an enabling environment for development and businesses to thrive, adding that the housing projects have been instrumental in reducing unemployment by creating direct and indirect employment to Kenyan youth.
The MD noted that the construction industry has been struggling in the last three years due to several factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic which did not spare the industry but slowed down the speed of construction and affected project completion.
He, however, noted that the industry remains optimistic that the economy is taking an upward trajectory and can only do better adding that the company revised its targeted completion of the proposed GWG5 project before the end of 2023.
“We thank our esteemed customers who have kept faith in EPL to deliver homes to them. We continue to push the Ministry of Lands to fast track registration of completed units, for instance, the number of registered subleases for GWG1 is 90 per cent after 4years and 60 per cent for GWG2,” he cited.
“Affordable housing development is not always a rosy affair as most people imagine. The amount of hard work and sweat that goes into the project cannot be understated. We meet several challenges which encourage us to work harder and deliver better” he added.
He further called on the national and county governments to prioritise the improvement of the provision of necessary services like road networks, water supply, sewer lines and electricity supply.
By Rachael Kilonzo