Ministry of Housing

Minister Hon. Soita Shitanda

Foreword

The Government remains conscious that the housing sector plays a key critical role in the overall economic growth of the country as well in wealth creation and employment. It is for this reason that the Government continues to make deliberate efforts to strengthen the institutions responsible for housing.

Further, the Government has increased funding from the Exchequer for housing development Programmes and projects. Since 2003,a total of Kshss1.1 billion has been allocated for both the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme and the Civil Servants Housing Scheme under the Ministry of Housing. The Government has also supported the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in its efforts to recover monies owed to it by Local Authorities.

To consolidate these measures, the Government has adopted a new National Housing Policy and has now formulated the Draft Housing Bill. This Bill is aimed at providing the legislative framework for effective coordination, regulation, guidance, facilitation, capacity building and monitoring of the housing and human settlements sector.

Further, the National Housing Policy for Kenya (Sessional Paper No. 3 of 2004) underscores the need for the formulation of a comprehensive housing legislation to spur housing and human settlements development.

The Ministry of Housing has just concluded drafting the Housing Bill. During the drafting stages we brought on board representatives from professional bodies, universities and research institutions, local authorities, the private sector, Non-governmental organizations, public bodies and elected representatives.

Once passed, the Bill will make the Ministry of Housing a one-stop-shop system of approvals for housing developments. This will expedite and streamline the approval process and better facilitate housing developers and investors, while at the same time upholding the approving roles of all other concerned institutions.

We have also been keen to sustain and strengthen existing institutions such as the National Housing Corporation (NHC) so that they may continue to undertake their functions in an organized legal and institutional framework.

I am confident that by the end of this year we will have made substantial progress in the programmes and projects being undertaken by the Ministry such as the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) and the Civil Servants Housing Scheme.

Finally, we look forward to a great year as we seek to facilitate the development of decent and affordable housing so that all Kenyan families can live in dignity.

Hon. Soita Shitanda, MP.
Minister