Tensions boiled over in Nairobi on Monday as residents of the New Mukuru Housing Estate took to the streets to protest a six-month delay in the disbursement of relocation facilitation funds promised by the government.
Dozens of residents pitched camp outside the Affordable Housing Project offices in Upper Hill, demanding the immediate release of Ksh.30,000 per household – an amount they say was agreed upon to help them transition into their new urban life.
The standoff highlights growing pains in the government’s flagship Affordable Housing Program, with residents claiming that official promises made before the festive season have gone unfulfilled.
According to the protesters, the relocation package has been a moving target. Initially set at Ksh.150,000, the figure was reportedly negotiated down to Ksh.75,000 before a final agreement of Ksh.30,000 was reached.
“We were told the money couldn’t be Ksh.75,000 but Ksh.30,000 because we now have houses,” said one resident. “We agreed, thinking that the Ksh.30,000 would help someone start a small business, like selling vegetables, to begin life afresh in this new estate.”
The residents allege that Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga had pledged that the funds would hit their accounts before Christmas. However, as the year draws to a close, most families claim their pockets remain empty.
The protests also brought to light the plight of those who were displaced by demolitions but are yet to be allocated units in the recently launched phases.
“The President came to launch phase two, but we haven’t received houses; we weren’t even given a key. The village was demolished, and we are being rained on with our children,” lamented another resident.
Another resident expressed the collective frustration of the group regarding the timing of the transition. “They said we got houses. The President came and launched them, saying we would eat Christmas inside, but we have eaten it outside,” he said.
Some residents further noted an arrangement where the government was to furnish their houses, with the cost being repaid in installments of Ksh.400 on top of their monthly rent. This agreement, they say, has left them dependent on government timelines for basic household items.
Speaking to Citizen TV, Affordable Housing Board CEO Sheila Waweru assured residents that the payment process is ongoing. She stated that all eligible residents should expect to receive their funds by next week.
However, the CEO issued a caveat: any resident who has failed to remit their monthly housing contributions will have those arrears deducted directly from the relocation facilitation allowance.
