The National government is targeting to construct 10, 000 household units under the affordable housing plan in Busia County.
According to the senior director of the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Polycap Onyango president William Ruto has directed the directorate to construct 10,000 houses in Funyula, Nambale, Butula, and Malaba in Busia county.
“This particular project we are putting together 880 units in Funyula alone at 2.6 billion which will have social housing units, the normal affordable housing units, and other commercial centers to add value to the community,” said Mr Onyango.
Addressing the press while inspecting sites where the houses will be constructed in the company of the contractor, Mr Onyango appealed to the Busia residents to embrace the project to better themselves economically.
“As per the president’s vision to try and empower the locals where these projects will be taking place, let the youths and the skilled laborers work on this project,” he said
He said the project is expected to be completed within twelve months of its inception.
“For all affordable housing projects, the timeline is 12 months and all markets under the same projects have to be completed within six months,” said Mr Onyango.
Funyula Member of Parliament Dr Oundo Mudenyo and a member of Azimio la Umoja welcomed the project adding that the project will improve the livelihood of the residents.
“Let me thank the national government for finding it fit to bring the affordable housing program to Funyula’s constituency. The investment of sh2.6 billion is a big investment that we are eager to rip from the investment. We have asked the state department and the contractor to Let anything that comes to Funyula remain here, be it the laborers and materials, we want that sh2.6 billion to circulate within the constituency,” he noted.
He added, “I want to urge the people of Funyula to embrace this project. When the time comes to the offtake or purchase let us be among the first people to apply for these houses.”
The Azimio la Umoja legislature disputed that they are against the project adding that as the opposition they have no problem with affordable housing, their problem is the taxation for the housing levy, adding that even in the Azimio manifesto they had affordable housing.
“Azimio la Umoja has no problem with affordable housing in Kenya, many people were against the issue of the housing levy, not the affordable housing project. This is a national government project that is coming to the people of Funyula constituency and Busia county at large and the Azimio la Umoja leadership has no problem with this project,” said Mr Mudenyo.
Mr Liu Qui from China Agency International Kenya Limited assured the people of Busia that they were up to the task, promising to source local construction materials and labor locally during the construction of the units.
“We have the confidence to deliver nice affordable houses for Busia County. We will work together with local community and area leaders. Most of the manual work we will use the local people and even some construction material we will source locally,” said Mr Liu.
KTMN Reporter 
Meza Mwanza