Three organisations want to stop Mombasa housing project

Three organisations are in court to stop the Mombasa County Government from going on with a multi-billion-shilling housing project.

The county intends to provide more than 30,000 housing units to residents as part of its Sh200 billion Vision 2035 mega projects. Twelve estates will be demolished in the process.

Legal Advice Centre, Haki Yetu St Patrick’s and Transparency International Kenya accuse the devolved government of making unilateral decisions.

Housing executive Anthony Njaramba on Monday said the units would comprise bedsitters and one, two and three-bedroom houses.

In papers filed in court, the executive said the new estates would have amenities like hospitals and schools.

Mr Njaramba was responding to a petition filed the organisations, which accuse the devolved government of not seeking public opinion before embarking on the grand project.

“The existing units are to be demolished. The county government has identified alternative accommodation for tenants,” Mr Njaramba said, adding that 20 per cent of the new units would be retained by the devolved government.

He said there was a housing purchase scheme exclusively for current tenants.

According to the county official, prices for the units would be 25 to 30 per cent lower than market rates.

A bedsitter would range from Sh1 million to Sh1.5 million while a one-bedroom unit would be between Sh2.5 million to Sh4.5 million.

A two-bedroom house would be sold for Sh4 million and Sh7 million while a three-bedroom one would go for between Sh6 million and Sh9 million.

Mr Njaramba said the number of units currently available is 3,039.

‘MUNICIPAL COUNCIL’

“Unfortunately, due to passage of time and poor record keeping by the defunct municipal council, we do not have a comprehensive documentation of tenants,” he said, adding that the county government sought the views of the public — especially tenants — and asked the court to dismiss the case.

The petitioners, through Mr Willis Oluga, have sued the county government, county secretary and Mr Njaramba.

The organisations say tenders have been advertised for the commencement of the project in Khadija, Miritini Greenfields, Changamwe, Likoni and Nyerere estates.

The second phase, according to the petitioners, involves the redevelopment of 12,000 housing units in Tudor, Mzizima, Buxton, Tom Mboya, Kaa Chonjo and Kizingo estates.

Mr Oluga said as much as the county government needed to build affordable houses, implementation of the project would not comply with the law.

According to the petitioners, the first phase of the project involves development of one new estate and redevelopment of four old ones.

“Respondents failed to provide residents a chance to participate in the development, conceptualisation and implementation of the project,” they argue.

The case will be heard on October 14 after parties file submissions not later than October 12.