Kenya given court approval to construct 7,000 houses In Starehe

Kenya can now start construction of the 7,000 houses in Starehe after the High court approved the construction and dismissed a case filed by civil servants who were apprehensive of missing out on the houses once complete.

Approximately 330 civil servants living in Starehe moved to court in 2014 and obtained orders blocking the Ministry of Lands and Housing from ejecting them from their houses in Starehe and Shauri Moyo estates to build the houses. The group wanted the government to give them alternative houses before their current dwellings are demolished.

However, Justice John Mativo recently lifted the orders and dismissed the case saying that the government was under no legal obligation to equip them with alternative accommodation.

They claimed that the government had failed to involve them in the construction plans and there was no indication that they would be allocated the new houses. It was also their contention that the ministry had failed to come up with an environmental impact assessment report, among other requirements, before the houses are put up.

This approval comes at a time when the Kenyan government is looking into the Big 4 agenda which key pillars are affordable housing, manufacturing, universal healthcare and food security. Recently, The National Housing Corporation (NHC) commenced the construction of 500,000 new housing units in Kenya in a bid to deliver decent and affordable housing.