President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned a massive public-private partnership housing project for the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) on Wednesday, which will be implemented across Nairobi, Nakuru, Laikipia, and Mombasa counties.
The President emphasized the Government’s focus on enhancing the welfare of the military by providing suitable housing when he presided over the ground-breaking ceremony for the first phase of the project, which would see 3,500 dwellings built at Roysambu in Nairobi County.
“Today is the first step towards resolving the issue of housing shortages for our military officers. President Kenyatta said, “We have been researching ways to handle the housing problem for a long time and we are glad that we have now discovered a solution through the construction of houses under public-private partnership.”
The dwellings will be built on KDF land at Roysambu (Nairobi), Kwambuzi in Nanyuki (Laikipia), Nyali (Mombasa), and Gilgil (Mombasa) under a build, lease, and transfer (BLT) system (Nakuru).
The Head of State expressed confidence that the housing project will be expedited and completed on time and on budget, citing the initiative as part of the Big 4 Agenda’s affordable housing pillar.
“I am convinced that this project will be carried out according to the plan, ensuring that all our officers and their families have appropriate housing in a short period of time,” President Kenyatta stated.
The Head of State expressed confidence that the housing project will be expedited and completed on time and on budget, citing the project’s importance in achieving the Big 4 Agenda’s affordable housing pillar.
“I am convinced that this project will be carried out in accordance with the established plan, ensuring that all our officers and their families have enough housing in a short period of time,” President Kenyatta stated.
Apart from homes, President Kenyatta stated that the government is building and modernizing military hospitals across the nation to serve KDF officers and their dependents.
He cited the recent start of construction of a Level 4 hospital at Kahawa Garrison and the upgrade of the Kenya Defence Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi as examples of projects aimed at improving the welfare and morale of KDF troops, as well as providing them with modern equipment to help them carry out their mandate effectively.
Defence CS Eugene Wamalwa expressed his delight at his ministry’s contribution to the implementation of the Big 4 Agenda’s affordable housing pillar through the KDF housing project during the brief ceremony.
General Robert Kibochi, the Chief of Defence Forces, congratulated President Kenyatta for bringing the soldiers’ goal of adequate housing a reality.
“I must thank you, Your Excellency, on behalf of the entire KDF, for your assistance and advice in getting us to this stage where we are having to construct over 3,000 dwellings in five parts of our country,” General Kibochi stated.
The CDF stated that the KDF will have created appropriate acceptable housing for all of its soldiers within the next five years.
