Parliament Presses Govt Over Stalled Affordable Housing Projects

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 29 – Parliament has demanded answers over delays in the implementation of the Government’s Affordable Housing Programme, with lawmakers pressing officials to account for stalled projects and explain when they will be completed and handed over to beneficiaries.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works challenged the State Department for Housing and Urban Development and the Affordable Housing Board to provide detailed updates on projects that have stalled, the specific challenges affecting them and measures being taken to get them back on track.

The State Department attributed delays to procurement challenges, limited contractor capacity, project management shortcomings and the transition to the electronic government procurement system.

Principal Secretary for Housing Charles Hinga told the committee that the scale of the Affordable Housing Programme had exposed weaknesses in the capacity of local contractors and public procurement systems, but said the experience was providing lessons that would strengthen implementation of future projects.

“What we are looking at is something that is unprecedented in the market,” Hinga told the committee.

He said the Government had encountered cases where contractors won tenders but lacked the financial or technical capacity to mobilise resources and commence construction.

Hinga said the department was tightening its systems to ensure unqualified contractors do not secure public projects and to take action against firms that fail to deliver after being awarded contracts.

The PS, however, rejected suggestions that the entire Affordable Housing Programme was failing, saying most projects were progressing despite challenges affecting some sites.

“We don’t want to say that there is no problem. There are challenges, and we are walking around them,” he said.

Hinga identified procurement as one of the major impediments to implementation, particularly during the transition to the electronic government procurement system.

He said the State Department had engaged the National Treasury to address challenges within the system that had affected the evaluation and award of tenders.

The committee, chaired by Joseph Tonui, demanded a comprehensive status report detailing the progress of stalled projects, the challenges affecting individual sites and the corrective measures being taken by the Government.

Committee member John Waluke said lawmakers needed project-specific information to establish why construction had stalled and determine whether the proposed interventions were sufficient to revive the projects.

“We need more information on the status of projects that are stalled, the challenge with each project and the motivating measures you are taking,” Waluke said.

Lawmakers Abraham Kirwa and Rindikiri Mugambi separately called for stronger monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to ensure housing projects are delivered within approved timelines and to the required standards.

“You need to do more monitoring and evaluation on the state of projects,” Kirwa said.

The committee also raised concerns about the management and allocation of completed housing projects, insisting that beneficiaries should have a role in decisions affecting their homes and estates.

Esther Passaris called for a participatory approach in the handover and management of completed housing projects in Nairobi, arguing that residents should be involved in maintaining and managing the estates.

She said greater participation by residents would strengthen ownership and help protect the long-term sustainability of the housing projects.

The committee also turned its attention to land ownership and titling, with Hinga asking lawmakers to support efforts to facilitate the acquisition of title deeds through the Ministry of Lands.

He said secure land tenure was critical to the success of housing and urban development programmes.

Daniel Manduku, however, raised concerns over the titling process and called for greater clarity on how land linked to housing projects was being secured for beneficiaries.

The committee also scrutinised Government programmes targeting informal settlements and urban areas, receiving briefings from officials involved in the Kenya Urban Support Programme and the Nairobi Rivers Commission.

The committee’s scrutiny comes as the Government continues to roll out its flagship Affordable Housing Programme, which is intended to increase the supply of affordable homes while creating jobs and stimulating activity in the construction sector.