1,000 low-cost Pangani houses to be ready December next year

The Sh5 billion Pangani Estate redevelopment project continues to take shape with the first phase comprising of 1,000 housing units to be completed by December next year.

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) said the ongoing low-cost housing project will consist of affordable and market housing units.

The redevelopment of the county estate, which began in May and was launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta in end June, will comprise of five blocks made up of 1,562 housing units.

NMS Director of Housing Charles Sikuku said that 60 percent of the units to be constructed will be affordable costing between Sh1 million and Sh3 million while the rest will be under market housing.

This, he said, means that 952 units will be under affordable scheme where 128 units will be one-bedroom, 248 units two-bedroom and 576 three-bedroom.

Some three-bedroom 610 units will be market housing.

Mr Sikuku said already Block 1, with two level basements, is currently at the second floor while Block 2 is at the foundation level. Blocks 3, 4 and 5 are all at excavation level while relocation of the sewer at the estate is already done.

“The houses have been designed to promote sustainable neighbourhoods with a mix of affordable and market housing. Moreover, 60 percent of the units will be affordable housing costing between Sh1 and 3 million,” said Mr Sikuku.

“The first phase of the project is set to be completed in December next year where 1,000 housing units will be ready while the rest of the units will be completed by May, 2022,” he added.

The estate’s tenants will also enjoy sufficient water supply storage in two level basements as well as basement parking in the courtyard with playgrounds on top.

The director, however, said implementation of the project has experienced a number of challenges including lengthy procurement processes due to government bureaucracy, lack of land documentation and lengthy processing of land papers and statutory approvals.

This is in addition to the slow process of relocation of existing tenants as well as services and the slow pace of construction work due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The redevelopment of the county estate is part of the wider plan of regeneration of seven estates in the Nairobi County targeting to put up between 10,000 and 12,000 low-cost housing units.

The other estates earmarked for redevelopment are Jeevanjee/Bachelors Quarters, Ngong Road Phases I and II, Uhuru Estate, New Ngara, Old Ngara and Suna Road Estates.

The redevelopment of the estates has been dragging since last year with the upgrade of Pangani estate, which was set to be the flagship project and was to commence last year, only beginning late this year due to constant disagreement between City Hall and the tenants.

In May 2019, each of the 48 tenants received Sh600,000 to facilitate their rent to wherever they choose to relocate for the next two years as the groundbreaking was projected to happen in June. Despite evicting tenants in the middle of the night on July 16, 2019, City Hall still failed to ground break the long-awaited affordable housing project. Nairobi Lands and Housing Executive Charles Kerich had earlier said the project had delayed because the county had initiated the project without coming up with a policy to guide affordable housing.