The government, through the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, in partnership with M/S Kings Developers Limited, has embarked on the development of Ruiru Boma Estate.
The project is among the many affordable houses that the government is working towards across the country to enable more Kenyans to own homes.
The 1050 housing units in Ruiru, Kiambu County, are currently at 54 per cent completion, and according to the government, by next year the construction will be complete.
As the construction proceeds, artisans and food vendors are some of the people who have been benefiting from the government’s project.
The food retail, distribution, and preparation sector is a major component of urban informal business across the country, and for Julia Wanjiru, a mother of two children who lives in Ruiru, Kiambu County, the affordable housing unit has seen her small business grow in leaps and bounds.
She explains to KNA that since the construction started, she has been able to improve not only in her lifestyle but also in the portion of food she sells.
“I used to sell tea and mandazis at the Ruiru bus stage and could sometimes go back with my merchandise back home, but when this affordable housing unit started and I started selling to the construction workers, I have not only increased what I am selling but moved to food vending, which is giving me good money,” she says.
Wanjiru says affordable housing programme by the President has been a blessing to me and my family, noting that since she started last year selling Githeri, beans, and Chapati, as well as tea, she is making ends meet and does not struggle, unlike before.
Maureen Wanjiku Muhoro says that before the affordable housing project started, she was almost giving up hope.
“I “tarmacked” for almost two years trying to get a job after completing studies and majoring in building construction but did not. When this project was launched, I was lucky to get a job, and I have been here since last year when it started,” the 27-year-old told KNA.
Wanjiku said since she started out at construction, she has been able to hone her skills, learn, and even master a few crafts.
“I cannot thank the President enough; personally, I have benefitted from this job and am hoping that come next year, when the construction ends, we will get jobs through other projects,” she said.
“This job is a life changer for me, considering I had nothing; now I am able to get something small; I was able to clear my college fee balance and graduate last year; I also help my parents in the household, and for this I am grateful,” she said.
On matters of owning a home, Ms. Muhoro said she was optimistic that one day she will be able to own a home and not just participate in creating one.
Edwin Ochieng Onyango, the chairman of the Bypass Ruiru Local Association and who is in charge of 150 artisans who have been doing piecemeal jobs of welding, fixing doors, iron sheets, and also carpentry, says the affordable housing project has helped very many young people who were almost giving up due to unemployment.
“Some of these young men have families, and just by getting up in the morning, working even if for a few pennies, they are able to go back home with some for the families,” Ochieng said.
Speaking at the Affordable housing site in Ruiru, Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura said the government has been working and creating jobs, especially for the young people.
“From statistics, you can see over 2,000 people come here daily for jobs, with about 900 people benefiting directly,” he said, adding the Public Private Partnership (PPP) that the government is engaging in to unlock government projects that are coming to fruition, and you can be able to see with these 1,050 units that comprise of studios, one, two, and three bedrooms.”
He assured residents that in the next three months, they hope that the President will commission the project, considering the developers are ahead of the project target.
Mwaura, however, said that it is not only the creation of jobs that the affordable housing project is doing, but it is creating something very fundamental, and that is home ownership, which is a basic need.
“Our mortgage facility for the nation up until 2022 was only 50,000 mortgages against a deficit of 250,000, and yet the government wants to build about 700,000 houses in the medium term, considering we have already created over 160,000 jobs,” Mwaura said.
He asked those who are doubting the affordable project not to and instead value what the government is able to do for its citizens.
The government, Mwaura said, is very intentional about ensuring that by December some thousands of houses in not only Ruiru but also in Mukuru and other places are released to the members of the public to benefit.
“Owning a home is now basic across the country; it’s standardized, and I want to urge Kenyans to start ‘kidogo kidogo’, get into the plan, and then own your own home” the Government spokesman said.
The Government has a goal to deliver housing on ownership terms for the Kenyan citizens with an ambition to move from 30,000 mortgages to 1,000,000, bridging the annual gap of 250,000 homes.
By Wangari Ndirangu
