Nairobi News

HashtagNews

Frustration over missed appointments to view ‘Boma Yangu’ houses – VIDEO


Several people who visited Ardhi House on Friday to book an appointment to view affordable houses at Park Road in Nairobi were turned away.

Their visit was after they received text messages on March 2, 2020, from Boma Yangu requesting registered members to visit Ardhi House.

TEXT MESSAGE

“Please be advised that Park Road units are now available for viewing on Fridays only between 9am-11am and 2:30pm-4:30pm for both public safety and minimal interference to the ongoing construction. Please reserve your space by visiting Ardhi House, Room 605, 6th-floor wing before each Friday,” the message read.

On Friday morning some of those who got the messages made their way to Ardhi House only to be turned away.

A text was subsequently sent to them with the message:

“This is to inform you that registration for viewing of Park Road units on Friday 06 March 2020, has closed. Those that registered please be at Park Road entrance within the ‘open-house’ times of 9.am-11 am, or 2:30pm-4:30 pm. Registration for next viewing will be announced, Message sent at 2:33pm on Friday.”

Most of the individuals who spoke to Nairobi News are small scale business people such as mama mboga, shoe shiners and mama fua.

Some members of the public who missed appointments to view the affordable houses outside at Nation Center in Nairobi. PHOTO AMINA WAKO
Some members of the public who missed appointments to view the affordable houses outside at Nation Center in Nairobi. PHOTO AMINA WAKO

They said they want President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene as they feel there are people playing dirty games with the housing project.

Jane Njoroge, vegetables seller in Kinoo, said she started saving with Boma Yangu on June 21, 2019 when she first made her first deposit.

“I was told to register with Boma Yangu and afterward I received a message that I qualified to join the pool that will eventually get the free housing which was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta,” Ms Njoroge said.

Members who joined Boma Yangu were asked to pay Sh200 everyday as contributions towards their dream home and Njoroge has diligently paid since June 2019.

She and others who spoke to Nairobi News sent their daily contributions through M-Pesa USSD *688# but were surprised when they reached Ardhi House only to be turned down.

NOT ADDING UP

One gets to share their personal details such as employment status, household particulars and preferred area of residence.

After registration, an assessment is undertaken to verify the details provided and upon completion, the potential buyer will then be allocated a unique identification number which they will use to make their contribution to their account in the housing fund.

“I was told to go back and wait for the Mavoko house, the Park Road ones have already been taken yet that was preferred area of residence. First of all, I don’t even know where Mavoko is and secondly, why did they send me the message to come and register for viewing yet they say it’s full? Something is not adding up,” Ms Njoroge said.

In January this year, Principal Secretary, Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga received 228 units from Chinese contractor, China State Construction Engineering.

The PS said 300 Kenyans met the 12.5% threshold which is the bare minimum for one to qualify for a housing unit at the Park Road housing development in Nairobi.

The houses are part of the 1,370 Phases One unit under construction at Park Road.

According to the PS, a computer ballot-based process will be used to allocate the house with the aim of eradicating attempts of human intervention.

Each of the two-bedroom houses under phase one, on 40 square metres will be sold at Sh2 million, the one-bedroom units on 20 square meters are going for Sh1 million while the 3-bedroom unit on a 60 square meters will cost Sh3 million.

The affordable housing scheme, which seeks to deliver 500,000 houses countrywide in five years.