Politicians warned against politicizing the affordable housing project

Vihiga

Tuesday, December 19, 2023

KNA by Maureen Imbayi

Leaders from Vihiga County have been warned against politicizing the affordable housing project but instead, give it the political goodwill.

 Speaking on Tuesday at the Vihiga Affordable Housing Project Phase 1 site, Vihiga County Commissioner, Felix Watakila asked the area leaders and residents to support the project saying it is going to empower them economically and socially.

 Watakila said the affordable housing project is employing the youths who would have otherwise ruined their lives consuming illicit brew.

  He asked the supervisors to ensure that all workers maintain a high level of discipline, commitment, and hard work cautioning them against allowing workers to come to work while drunk.

  “This project is empowering our youth by providing them with employment so that they do not engage in anti-social ills and it is also empowering the residents economically as they are also selling food to the workers,” said Watakila.

 He refuted claims that workers were being paid low wages plus the allegation that other workers were residents of other counties as earlier reported in a section of the media saying that that was propaganda from some people who were not supporting the project.

  Vihiga County Director of Housing, Teresia Ooko said that Vihiga affordable housing project phase 1 will cost Sh. 536,180,334.27 and it will have a total of 220 housing units.

 Ooko added that this project started on September 19, 2023, and is expected to be completed in 48 weeks and it is now at 25 percent completion.

 She said that the project has deployed 160 workers out of which 78 are skilled and 82 are unskilled.

  She said that another housing project that is at the planning stage Vihiga Affordable Housing Project Phase 2 is expected to have 400 units and will be constructed opposite the phase 1 project.

Another project is the Vihiga police housing project at Vihiga Police Station which will have 200 units.

 She urged residents to register in the Boma Yangu App with Sh. 200 where they can start saving money which will assist them to easily buy the houses when they are complete.

 One of the casual workers Edith Okong’o commended the supervisors saying they had given them protective devices to caution them from the risks of the construction industry.

Courtesy; KNA