Protect homeowners
A petition before Parliament, where potential homeowners have raised an alarm over a risk of loss of billions of shillings in a housing scheme, has lifted the lid on how rotten the sector has become. The potential homeowners are on the verge of losing Sh7.8 billion in deposits on housing projects that never kicked off two years on.
That should be a wake-up call to the government to come to the rescue of many Kenyans who are willing and ready to lay down their hard-earned coin to own a home. It should prioritise, this year, put in place stringent measures to protect potential homeowners from unscrupulous private investors that are on the prowl to defraud innocent Kenyans. In this case, let it weed out those firms and individuals who pose as genuine pathways to people willing to have their own homes.
Ranging from advertisements in leading media houses to attractive artistic pictures of houses and plots in their social media platforms, some of these unscrupulous ‘developers’ have managed to hoodwink Kenyans, who have ended up regretting after realising that they have been duped. Some of the plots being advertised lack title deeds, others have fake ownership documents or are the subject of court cases that are yet to be resolved but that are not brought to the fore in advance.
If indeed, the government is determined to build affordable and decent housing, then it ought to put its system in place not only to protect the potential homeowners but also to attract potential local and foreign private investors who might be willing to pump in some money towards the projects.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Zachary Mwangi Njeru and Principal Secretary Nixon Korir promised at their vetting in Parliament zero tolerance on fraud at Ardhi House that has dogged the ministry for eons. It’s time to put the promise into action.
Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin should deal decisively with individuals who pose as agents of fraudulent parcels of land and projects and end up minting millions of shillings from unsuspecting Kenyans before disappearing. Home buyers should be vigilant and exercise due diligence.
