The Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing, chaired by Senator Eddy Okech (Migori), held a comprehensive consultative meeting with the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing & Urban Development to deliberate on the status of key housing programmes, policy direction, challenges, legislative gaps, and opportunities for collaboration in the sector.

During the session, Principal Secretary Charles Hinga briefed the Committee on the national housing agenda, highlighting that 139,703 housing projects are currently ongoing, while an additional 346,209 projects have been advertised. He also reported that Ksh 470 million worth of mortgages have been disbursed to civil servants under government-backed initiatives.

PS Hinga noted the implementation of the Second Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP II), funded by a US $350 million grant from the World Bank, to support urban development in 79 municipalities. He emphasized that the release of funds is currently pending the approval of the County Government Additional Allocation (CGAA) Bill.

On Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP), the PS outlined Kenya’s leadership in a global initiative aimed at enhancing adaptive capacity in urban poor communities across 12 African countries. He also shared updates on the Kenya Informal Settlement Redevelopment Programme (KISRP), a three-year initiative targeting Kilifi, Ngong, and Siaya municipalities, supported by a €6 million grant from the Government of Italy.

Highlighting collaborative opportunities, PS Hinga urged the Senate to support strengthening the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme. Key proposals included reviewing laws to provide better incentives for developers and homebuyers, harmonizing county and national policies, and exploring innovative financing models such as Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) and social housing funds.

Additionally, PS Hinga affirmed that all ongoing programmes align with key national policies, including the National Housing Policy (2016), Kenya Slum Prevention and Upgrading Policy, National Building Maintenance Policy, and the National Urban Development Policy (NUDP) 2016.

Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, while giving her remarks, acknowledged the busy workload of the Ministry due to the three departments under her watch. However, she assured the Committee of her unwavering commitment to remain available for accountability and collaboration.

“Chairman, we are doing our best to ensure that all projects are implemented in a timely manner. For those that delay, we ensure there is a substantive reason and possible expansion,” CS Wahome emphasized.

The Committee resolved to conduct inspections of various affordable housing projects across counties to ensure transparency, accountability, and value for taxpayer investment.

Senators present in the meeting were Vice Chairman Dr. Lelegwe Ltumbesi (Samburu), John Kinyua (Laikipia), Miraj Abdillahi (Nominated), Enock Wambua (Kitui), Crystal Asige (Nominated) and Mohammed Chute (Marsabit)