Haki Yetu Organization and Buxton Estate Welfare Committee now want the Mombasa County Government to implement the urban renewal project by adopting the low-cost housing concept that has been programmed and muted by the National Government.
The Former tenants of Buxton and Haki Yetu Organization want the County Government and Buxton Point, the developer of the 1900 housing units in Mombasa, to make the tenant purchase scheme mandatory instead of home ownership.
In a statement they said the government prefers home ownership, a choice they allege is at odds with the low standard of living of the majority of the people of Mombasa.
Haki Yetu Organization and Buxton Estate Welfare Committee Monday held a peaceful procession to mark the second anniversary since the tenants of Buxton were relocated to pave the way for the construction of the Sh6 billion affordable housing project.
Haki Yetu Organization Land Programme Officer Munira Ali said housing people is not the primary goal of a private investor.
“The sole aim of a private investor is to make profits and that is why Buxton Point Apartment Limited has a share of 90 percent (1665 units) of the total 1850 Buxton housing units while Mombasa County Government share has been reduced to 10 percent (185 units),” Munira noted.
She added that the 185 units which are meant to provide social rental housing to low-income earners is “a negligible figure for 61 percent of the population living in informal settlements of Mombasa.”
She went on: “And so, we wonder is the government providing housing or increasing homelessness? Typically, shouldn’t a country have enough stock of social housing to reduce landlordism and rental speculation?”
They termed the leasing of public land to a private developer as unlawful saying it would serve the interest of an individual rather than the public.
“Allowing the private investor to partake public land for 99 years to make a profit is a clear indication that the government does not have the interest of the downtrodden in the housing agenda,” she noted.
Munira said that Mombasa County government and Buxton Point Apartment Limited would be handing over illegality to the rich at the expense of the poor.
“The County Government will be handing over the houses that have been built on impunity, disregard of the authority of courts and values of the Constitution,” she said.
They demanded that Mombasa County Government ceases leasing the remaining old estates sitting on public land until the urban renewal and development project is revisited to serve the public interest and not the interests of a few people.
Peter Kazungu from Haki Yetu Organization stated that the houses were too costly for former inhabitants of the Buxton estate to afford which is contrary to the aim of affordable housing construction.
Buxton Point is ranked as the best in real estate in Mombasa comprising studio, one, two, and three-bedroom apartments
The development initially met resistance from the Senate following claims that the deal between the Mombasa County Government and the developer had not been transparent, and the compensation issues for the evicted former residents had not been fully addressed.
According to Kazungu, to get a house in Buxton Point, one has to be qualified to get a mortgage which is privileged to salaried earnings above Sh100, 000 giving high chances of house ownership to the rich.
Sakina Baalul, one of the former residents on her part stated that she lived in Buxton for 34 years and she was yearning to go back there if the government would allocate them the newly constructed houses through the tenant purchase programme.
By Sadik Hassan and Michael Mulata
