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Uasin Gishu, Chinese firm ink Sh6bn housing deal

The deal will involve construction of modern high-rise residential buildings in Eldoret.

Updated

Workers at a construction site in Eldoret.
Workers at a construction site in Eldoret. PHOTO | FILE

Uasin Gishu has signed a Sh6billion deal with China’s Wiehai International Economic and Technical Corp. for development of homes in the county under a Public Private Partnership (PPP) financing scheme.

The PPP financing deal will involve construction of modern high-rise residential buildings in Eldoret and rehabilitation of 3,000 houses owned by the county government.

The project, which seeks to ease housing shortage in Eldoret, will target Saroiyot and Elgon View – where new houses will be built – with Uhuru, Pioneer, Kidiwa, Tom Mboya, Kodhek, Mayabi, Macharia and Kapsuswo estates being targeted for renovation.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago last week told journalists that his government had also inked deals with the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the National Housing Corporation for the construction of modern estates and renovation of old county houses.

Uasin Gishu has already issued notices to those living in some of its old houses to vacate following the completion of the initial surveys for the project by the Chinese company.

However, the ultimatum has not gone down well with the tenants who have refused to vacate the houses – given that the rents charged by the county are usually way below the market prices.

Some tenants have already moved to court to stop the imminent evictions.

Demand for housing in counties has increased significantly over the past two years thanks to devolution. This has seen county governments rushing to build high density estates in major towns.

In October last year, for example, the Kakamega County signed a Sh4.5 billion deal with Henan Guoji Development Corporation of China for the construction of 9,000 low-cost housing units.

READ: Kakamega, Chinese firm ink Sh4.5bn housing deal

The project, which involves construction of two and three-bedroom houses on 47 acres of land in Amalemba, is expected to partially meet the rising demand for housing in Kakamega.

Danson Kagai is a skilled architect with a degree from the University of Nairobi. He has a wealth of experience in covering mega projects in Kenya, and is passionate about the built environment.