Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Idah Munano. [Photo: X-News]The government will use Industrialised Building Systems (IBS) to build more than 500,000 housing units for Kenyans over five years.This was announced by Housing and Urban Development principal Secretary Idah Munano on Monday saying that the technology will ensure houses are built in seven days instead of the six months that normal construction takes. Munano noted that the system is already in use in many developed countries and involves developing parts of a house in a factory.
The PS said that the government has done a sample house that only took one week to complete, according to the Star newspaper.
“The entire government will be working together to ensure roads, water, infrastructure and energy are entrenched in the programme,” Munano said while speaking at Kahuhia Girls’ High School during the Kenya Anglican Youth Association meeting on Monday.She added that the programme will enjoy integrated support from all government departments to ensure it is well implemented.Munano further said that the government is now looking at land banking to create enough space for the construction even as the national government holds talks with the county governments to help manage the programme 'because they understand the needs of their residents better'.
“We are also reaching out to private developers to find out what incentives we can offer them so they establish affordable housing units,”added Munano.
Munano expressed shock that only 22,000 people are servicing mortgages in the country against more than 10 million people in the workforce.