By M, KNA
The Government is rightly on course towards implementation of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), especially on Housing and Settlement and Universal Health Coverage, where significant milestones have been achieved.
This is according to Government Spokesperson Dr. Isaac Mwaura, who highlighted that the government is targeting to construct 250,000 affordable housing units annually to address urban and rural housing shortages.
This, he emphasized, is in fulfillment of the constitutional provision that enshrines housing as one of the basic social and economic rights, regarding accessible and adequate housing and reasonable standards of sanitation in accordance with the Affordable Housing Program (AHP) and Social Housing Program (SHP).
Dr. Mwaura noted that more than 60 percent of urban Kenyans live in slums and other low-quality housing without adequate sanitation, thus undermining their dignity and exposing them to health hazards.
“This is attributable to the country’s rapid urbanization rate, which oscillates at 4.4 percent, translating to an equivalent of 500,000 new city dwellers a year, making housing supply a challenge and a moving target for the Government,” he lamented.
Nevertheless, Dr. Mwaura stated that the government commits to turning the country’s housing challenge into an economic opportunity by viewing housing production as a sector that will create quality jobs directly in the construction sector for the approximately 100,000 young people, who graduate from TVETS every year, and indirectly through the production of building products.
The government spokesperson implored that the target is to create over 1 million jobs through the Affordable Housing Program for plumbers, electricians, masons, and stone cutters at the quarry, and across the building and construction industry as the government continues to roll out this initiative.
This commitment, he added, seeks to increase the supply of new housing to 250,000 per annum and change the percentage of affordable housing supply from the prevailing 2 percent to 50 percent by structuring affordable long-term housing finance schemes, including a National Housing Fund and Cooperative Social Housing Schemes to guarantee the offtake of houses from developers.
It further aims at strengthening the Jua Kali industry’s capacity to produce high-quality construction materials, while giving developers incentives to build more affordable housing units.
At the same time, the Government has successfully piloted the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) program for 213 artisans at Kibra and Ruiru Affordable Housing Projects, amid plans to roll it out to other over 1,000 artisans nationwide.
The spokesperson also announced that two programs cutting across several counties, remain part of the timely interventions by the government to eradicate slums, while simultaneously providing a decent and dignified home for Kenyans of all walks of life.
“Cumulatively, there are about 100,000 housing units at various stages of construction across the country. An additional 700,000 housing units are in the pipeline, including 40,299 social housing units advertised on June 25, 2024, which will also benefit residents who were relocated from flood-prone areas along the Nairobi River,” he highlighted.
So far out of the 24 ongoing AHP projects, Dr. Mwaura revealed that 539,623 registered members of the public have saved a total of Sh2,274,456,214 and that a total of 6,411 houses have been booked to date.
In line with the key objective of Universal Health Coverage, Dr. Mwaura said the government is committed to the employment and initiation of payment for community health workers, who will form part of the Primary Health Care System and also prioritize reducing the cost of treatment through the new and improved Social Health Authority (SHA).
“The shift from NHIF to SHIF introduces enhanced benefits such as full digitization, biometric verification, independent accreditation, an expanded benefit package, reduced monthly premiums from Sh500 to Sh300, fair contributions for all sectors, universal coverage, emergency care, and government support for the very poor and severely disabled as outlined in the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2003,” he exemplified, adding that the SHIF card can grant patients access to all health facilities including public, private, and faith-based organizations.
He pointed out that contributions SHIF will be at a rate of 2.75 percent of an individual’s income, whereas the national and county governments will pay the insurance premiums for the poor, those in custody and vulnerable populations through social protection, as determined by means testing.
As of September 3, 2024, the government spokesperson disclosed that 861,101 Kenyans had registered with SHA, and 9,792 health facilities, including 2,008 publics and 7,784 private and faith-based facilities, were licensed with the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Council (KMPDC).
He added that draft contracts with healthcare providers have been finalized, and the government is now focused on public awareness and education regarding the transition from NHIF to SHA, with healthcare provider engagement to begin once tariffs are gazetted.
“All civil servants are expected to be registered by October 1, 2024, with the Ministries of Energy and Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy required to support power and internet connections to health facilities across the country,” stated Dr. Mwaura, adding that the Ministry of Education will support student registration, while the Ministry of the Interior will facilitate the rollout through its National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) network.