Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing Chaired by Kiambu Sen. Karungo Thangwa yesterday met with Governor Abdullswamad Sheriff Nassir of Mombasa and the Management and Developer of Buxton Point Apartments led by its chairman Hon. Suleiman Shahbal at Serena Hotel.

The committee met to consider Petition by Buxton Tenants Association. The petitioners prayers to the Senate to intervene and request the County Government of Mombasa to convene a meeting with former Buxton home owners and have an engagement with them to make them understand precisely and answer questions raised by petitioners.

The petitioners also want the Government of Mombasa to consider expanding the retention of the catch of the number of houses the county government will have available for former Buxton Tenants. 

"The developer allocated county of Mombasa 200 units out 2000 units completed in Buxton Estate. Out of 512 former tenants, 176 tenants are employees of County Government of Mombasa, therefore they will be given priority when balloting is done for 200 units meant for County Government of Mombasa." Said the Governor.

Sen. Sifuna requested the Governor Abdullswamad and the Developer to regotiate the contracts through Tenants Purchase Agreements. 

"Governor and the Developer should convene a meeting with the former tenants and solve this issue once and for all." Said Sen. Kajwang

Chairman of Buxton Point Apartments, Hon. Suleiman Shahbal said that the Buxton Estate renewal project was a social programme project and will be replicated in Mzizima and Likoni estate in the coming renewal and regeneration phases.

He retaliated that 60 units were taken up by the former Buxton tenants as per Tenant Purchase Agreement, however the rest of 512 tenants did not take offer to buy the apartments units at the subsidized offer price. 

The former Buxton tenants request the Senate to intervene and consider what methods the County Government of Mombasa will employ to allocate for tenants low-cost housing including the benefits of long term repayment periods. 

Members present were: 

Sen. (Rtd) Justice Stewart Madzayo

Sen. Enoch Kiio Wambua

Sen. Moses Kajwang

Sen. Mohammed Said Chute

Sen. Edwine Watenya Sifuna