Ruiru residents wary AHS might be seized by wealthy individuals
By Oliver Musembi, January 22, 2024A cross-section of residents of Kiambu County has expressed their concerns the Affordable Housing Scheme (AHS) may be hijacked by the wealthy even though they approved the project in a public participation forum.
During a meeting with members of the Parliamentary Housing Committee at the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Hall in Ruiru sub-county on Friday, locals said the government should put in place measures to ensure that only the medium and low income earners commonly known as ‘mama mbogas’ and ‘hustlers’ get the houses.
Majority of the speakers at the forum attended by the Committee Chairman Johana Ng’eno who is the MP for Emurua Dikirr, the host, Ruiru MP Simon King’ara and his Sirisia counterpart John Walukhe among others, welcomed the initiative saying it would be beneficial to the country.
However, they cast fears that the houses may be sold to people with deep pockets or well connected individuals, leaving out those who deserve.
“What criteria will be used to make sure that ordinary persons get the houses once construction is complete? We fear the beneficiaries will the rich,” said Jane Kinyanjui, a trader from Biashara ward.
King’ara while supporting the project said Ruiru which is rated as the country’s most populous constituency is set to reap big in terms of employment opportunities created by the housing project and anticipated business growth.
He also maintained that priority should go to Ruiru residents and more so the lower income brackets when it comes to allocation of the houses.
At one point, Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) including Kimani wa Nduta (Ruiru’s Biashara ward) and Kennedy Odhiambo (Kahawa Sukari) accused the planners of the meeting of failing to invite them saying they learnt about it from the public.
However, Nduta and Odhiambo said they were fully behind the housing project, maintaining that people from far away regions should not be allocated the houses.
Another resident Adonija Odhiambo said people with special needs and those living with disability should be considered and offered lower terms of purchase of the units as many of them cannot afford the set market price.