The second phase of the Kenya Informal Settlements Improvement Project (KISIP) has been approved with necessary planning already completed to ensure that the project kicks off by the end of this year.
The project that will benefit selected informal settlements across the country comes in the wake of the successful completion of phase one that targeted 15 counties.
Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga said the Cabinet has already approved phase two adding that the ministry is awaiting the final nod from the World Bank to roll out the project.
He said they will soon sign the financial agreements with the World Bank which also financed the first phase.
Addressing the press in Naivasha on Tuesday, Hinga said the number of counties to benefit would be made clear once the final framework for implementation of the project was put in place.
He said Kenya had a total of 490 informal settlements noting that in the counties where the first phase was implemented, residents had seen positive developments in infrastructure.
In Naivasha the project benefited four slums including Kihoto, Karagita, Kamere and Kasarani with many families experiencing transformation from the project.
Hinga at the same time said they were carrying out tenure regularization for residents who have lived in informal settlements for a long time noting that it was time they owned the land they live in.
“This means that for those who have lived for long we are going to issue title deeds to them so that they own the land and make it productive,” assured Hinga.
On affordable housing, the PS said they were on course to deliver the promise as outlined in the President’s Big Four agenda adding that although there were challenges that beset the proposed Housing levy fund, they had found alternative methods to finance the project and that Kenyans were now receptive of the new projects being carried out.
He said a total of 250,000 Kenyans have so far registered on the Boma Yangu platform and a further 20,000 have already started paying installments to finally own a house adding that more Kenyans needed to be encouraged to register.
By Esther Mwangi and Brian Kamau
