The government plans to construct 100 houses at the Kiganjo Police Training College under the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP).
According to the Nyeri County Director of Housing and Urban Development Francis Thuku, the houses are part of the 560 police houses that have been earmarked for construction in five different counties in a move aimed at providing dignified and modern housing for officers in the disciplined forces.
“Kiganjo Police College has been earmarked for the project. We are to do 100 units. Currently, the project is at evaluation stage,” Thuku said.
Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development through the Department of Housing and Urban Development is set to construct 130 units in Nairobi County for the General Service Unit officers at State House.
The State also plans to construct 60 housing units at the Kisii GK Prison and the Sondu Police station.
There are also plans to construct 150 housing units at the Garissa Police station and Administration Police Camp and 100 units at the Kajiado police station.
In Nakuru County, the government will be putting up some 60 units for the Anti-Stock Theft Unit personnel in Gilgil.
Thuku, who spoke during the Nyeri County Implementation Coordination and Management Committee meeting said besides the Police Service, the state department will also be putting up some 4,216 hostels for six tertiary education institutions in the county under the Student Accommodation plan.
Among the institutions set to benefit include, Nyeri National Polytechnic, where the State will construct 1,216 units and the Kenya Medical Training College in Kiahungu, Mukurwe-ini Constituency where another 580 units are set for construction.
“We have received a notification of intention to award for the Nyeri National Polytechnic. For the Kiahungu KMTC, the project has already been awarded and we are also planning to do public participation and hand it over to the contractor,” Thuku said.
The state will also construct 680 units at Kagumo Teachers Training College in Tetu Constituency at a cost of Sh259 million while in Kieni, the government will spend Sh210 million to construct 580 student accommodation units.
Other institutions that are set to benefit from the programme include, Mathenge Technical Training Institute (Othaya Constituency) and Mathira Technical Training Institute where a total of 580 units will be constructed at each of the two institutions.
Thuku further informed the committee that the state department has started the process of allocating houses at the Blue Valley affordable housing project Phase I in Nyeri town.
The 381 houses which are classified into social housing, affordable housing and market housing, are being constructed at a cost of Sh877 million.
“We have already opened a marketing office on site and brought on board some marketers. Booking is being done online through www.bomayangu.go.ke.Once the client makes a 5 per cent deposit payment, then allocation is done for units that have attained the 20 per cent completion,” explained the County Housing Director.
On the other hand, the Ruring’u AHP where 468 units are under construction at a contract sum of Sh1.4 billion, is at 44.5 per cent completion rate.
Thuku noted that both housing projects have opened up numerous employment opportunities for the community and especially youth residing in the county.
“Currently, we have engaged 285 workers in Blue Valley and 450 in Ruring’u. We have interns, attachees and we also have another group that is benefiting from Recognition of Prior Learning through accreditation from National Industrial Training Authority,” he noted.
The county director revealed that plans are also under way for commencement of the Karatina affordable housing project where 680 units will be constructed at a cost of Sh1.6 billion.
“The project has been awarded and we are in the process of handing it over to the contractor who is already on site,” he said.
By Wangari Mwangi and Samuel Maina
