City Hall’s plan for 100,000 new houses attracts 26 developers
Twenty-six developers have expressed interest in a project City Hall initiated to construct 100,000 houses in Nairobi targeting low income earners.
The Sh40 billion project dubbed: “Urban Renewal and Redevelopment of Old Housing Estates,” involves pulling down houses in the old estates owned by the county government of Nairobi and replacing them with new units.
However, some will be reserved for historical purposes.
The county recently placed an advert in the local dailies inviting tenders for the development of the new housing units and on Wednesday, the executive member for Planning and Housing, Mr Tom Odongo, said the bidding was closed on July 17, with 26 developers expressing interest in the project.
“The firms that qualify at the Expression Of Interest stage will be issued with Request For Proposal documents whose evaluation is expected to be completed by end of November,” Mr Odongo said, adding that thereafter City Hall would announce the winner.
Construction is expected to commence in January next year.
The project, which is expected to give Nairobi a major face-lift, is likely to change the city’s property market as a three-bed roomed house in Ngara or Pangani will cost less than Sh8 million.
Currently, only a few people can afford to buy houses in Nairobi suburbs.
The first phase of the project covers Old and New Ngara, Pangani, Jeevanjee/ Bachelors, Ngong Road Inspectorate staff quarters, Uhuru and Suna Road.