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{
    "id": 1334172,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1334172/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 85,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Emurua Dikirr, UDA",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Johana Kipyegon",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Two minutes will be enough. Hon. Speaker, pursuant to the provision of Standing Order 44(2)(c), Hon. Omar Mwinyi requested a Statement from the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works regarding the management of houses and treatment of tenants in estates in Mombasa County, owned by the National Housing Corporation (NHC). On 25th October 2023, the Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing vide a letter reference No. NADDC HUP 2023 031 on 27th October, 2023 inviting them to submit the response on the matter raised by the Statement. The response was forwarded to the Committee by the Cabinet Secretary on 27th November 2023. I beg to table it. The Cabinet Secretary has fairly answered the issues that Mheshimiwa Omar raised. Question one was on the essential amenities and facilities that the developers of affordable housing and building on spaces must provide to tenants. The Cabinet Secretary replied that it is the responsibility of the NHC and the State Department to ensure that all the houses that tenants occupy have all the amenities and facilities that are meant to be accorded to the tenants. Question two was on the steps taken by the Government to ensure that all waste water and effluent from the sewerage system of an estate in Mombasa owned by the National Housing Corporation in Changamwe Constituency are addressed. In his reply to that Question, the Cabinet Secretary enumerated the co-operation between the State Department, the NHC, and the Mombasa Water and Sewerage Company (MOWASSCO). They are co-operating to ensure that all those amenities and facilities are provided for in those housing projects. Question three sought clarification on whether the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA) has developed regulations on managing toxic and hazardous sewage flow from broken systems and how they are implemented. The Cabinet Secretary replied to this Question, and I believe his answer is fairly clear. Unless the Member has other issues that he wants to raise, the answer is fairly clear. On Question four on the actions that may have been taken against NHC for poor management of the estate, I felt that whatever the Member raised needed serious and deep investigation, specifically on the constant harassment of residents living in the area or the estates, including threats of eviction; sexual harassment; corruption, allegations; rental areas; disputes; harmonization; access to purchase houses; ongoing projects without approval; debts and injuries; security lights; social amenities and lack of public participation. I have read the response by the Cabinet Secretary. One of the responses was that no action is preferred against the NHC by anyone. Therefore, the NHC would have responded if there were any formal complaints by anyone or any other matter. However, on that issue, my Committee visited the housing project in Changamwe on 24th June 2023. We took time to listen to the Member of Parliament representing Changamwe and the tenants living in those houses. There were too many issues that were raised. In conclusion, I agree that some issues need further investigation, especially on the issue of tenants who have been living in those houses, and we can understand that. Some of the original tenants passed on and left their children behind. Their children could be unemployed and unable to continuously pay for those services or the rent of the houses. We need to have a further discussion on this to ensure that those people are not unfairly evicted from those homes. I will end by saying that the answers to some of the issues that the Member raised are what the State Department is trying to do. It is building affordable housing and doing tenant purchase The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}