Mombasa County Government has suspended the construction of the national government's affordable housing in the county over disputes arising from the construction and allocation of the units.
County Executive Committee Member for Lands and Housing Mohammed Hussein on Tuesday, November 10, announced the halt of the construction activities at the Buxton Point housing project, accusing the contractor of failing to fulfil outstanding obligations to the County Government and families displaced during the redevelopment of the estate.
According to Hussein, the construction of the project has been stopped immediately until the outstanding commitments are addressed, maintaining that the decision was driven by accountability.
"There is an agreement between the county and the national government before construction is done. The obligations have not been met. From today, no construction will take place here and I will write a letter halting construction until we reach an agreement," Hussein stated.
President William Ruto during the handover of Affordable Housing units on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. PCS
At the centre of the dispute is the 10 per cent allocation of the housing units and commercial spaces to the county under the joint venture agreement, which the CEC member maintains has not yet been allocated.
The project consists of approximately 1,800 units, with the county demanding 180 units according to their agreement.
Residents also claim that they were displaced from the estate over seven years ago, with a promise that they would return to the houses in a year.
They also allege that the money they were promised by the government for a year so that they could rent houses as they wait for the new units was also not fully allocated to them, with claims that the balance would be used as a deposit for the affordable units.
"We were displaced seven years ago, and we had an agreement that we would be given rent to pay for a year; after that we would be the first people to get priority in the houses. We agreed on Ksh300,000, but we were only given Ksh240,000. Seven years later, nothing has happened," one resident stated.
"We just want houses as promised, and we do not need them for free; we will pay as other Kenyans are doing," another resident added.
The latest move comes after the Mombasa County Government reported to have raised concerns over the implementation of the agreement previously, warning that several obligations remain outstanding despite earlier correspondence with the developer.
The development has brought renewed attention to the commitments made when the former estate was earmarked for redevelopment, including protection of displaced households and the public benefits expected from the project.
Besides the Buxton estate in Mombasa, the affordable housing units have faced scrutiny in recent weeks, with six Kenyans moving to court to stop the mandatory 1.5 per cent salary deductions for the housing levy.
The petitioners, led by Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court on Monday, November 9, seeking to stop the deductions and secure refunds of money already collected.
In their appeal, they also want Sections 4 and 5 of the Act, which provide for the mandatory Housing Levy, declared unlawful and to stop the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) from collecting the levy.
“Tax measures must be socially just, adequate, equitable, and progressive and must not disproportionately shift the tax burden to the poor and marginalised,” the petitioners argued.
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