Ministry of Lands, Works and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary, Mr Zechariah Njeru Wednesday commissioned 39-member task force that will engage the Nubian community and relevant stakeholders on the planned redevelopment of the Kibra Nubian Land and provision of decent housing.
During the meeting with the team, the CS reiterated the government’s priority to create a decent, clean and futuristic living community, tasking the team to develop a clear roadmap with practical strategies after comprehensive public participation process and consultation with community stakeholders, as envisaged in the land redevelopment masterplan.
“A key objective of the Ministry is uplifting the living standards of Kenyans from all walks of life through affordable homeownership. The planned redevelopment of the 288 acres of land for the Nubian community will make a real difference in the lives of many families, create jobs for youths, and plug the housing deficit in Kibra,” said the CS during the meeting.
The 39-member task force comprises members drawn from the Nubian Community, nominated through a Community Caucus with concurrence from the Board of Trustees of the Kibra Nubian Community Land Trust (KNCLT).
Other task force members include technocrats from the Ministry, government agencies at National and County Government, as well as experts from the private sector.
Also present during the event was the task force chairman Dr. Ahmed Yakub Kalebi, who said, “We are optimistic that the land redevelopment project will address the pressing need for decent housing for a growing Nubian community, a majority of whom strive to make ends meet and lack a place to call home.”
The team is expected to present an interim report to the CS in the next two weeks detailing an outline of the scheduled public participation forums that will be announced as part of efforts to create public awareness and sensitization on the project. The team will also engage elders, scholars and residents from the Nubian Community as well as other communities to discuss historical perspectives, challenges faced and efforts that were pursued in the past relating to the Kibra Land.
By Hamdi Mohamud
