Over 500K Kenyans voluntarily contribute Sh2.255 billion for affordable houses

This was revealed in a statement from State House Spokesperson Hussein Mohamed, who addressed inaccuracies in a recent Daily Nation article titled "Puzzle of Ruto Housing Projects."

The Daily Nation's report suggested a low uptake of the AHP and alleged that government agencies were burdened with unsold units.

However, the government refuted these claims, highlighting the significant voluntary savings by over half a million Kenyans under the Boma Yangu initiative, a key component of the AHP.

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"As of today, August 6, 2024, there were 531,943 Kenyans saving over Ksh 2.255 billion under the Boma Yangu initiative," the statement clarified.

The statement emphasised that the AHP was specifically designed to meet the needs of ordinary Kenyans by offering affordable housing units at significantly reduced prices.

Unlike previous programs, which had units priced between Sh7 million to Sh8 million, the AHP has been able to offer units between Sh1 millionto Sh3 million.

Hussein said that contrary to the Daily Nation's assertions, the uptake of AHP units has been notably high.

For instance, 1,370 affordable units at Park Road, Nairobi, were sold out within 90 days.

According to the government, over 33,000 Kenyans made deposits for these units, but many opted to wait for future allocations rather than request refunds.

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Since September 2022, the AHP has launched 103,000 affordable housing units in various construction stages nationwide, creating 160,000 jobs and further opportunities for MSMEs.

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The government highlighted the Kibera Jua Kali Association's recent Sh720 million contract to supply doors and windows as an example of these opportunities.

The statement also clarified that previous government housing projects, such as those launched in 2013 and the Shimo La Tewa project from 2016, are not aligned with the AHP.

The government is actively reviewing these projects to improve their uptake, with some already showing progress under revised schemes like the Tenant Purchase Agreement (TPS).

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