Homebuyers fear millions lost as Ngara housing project faces delays

A group of investors who injected Sh388 million into the proposed Nairobi City County–backed Jeevanjee Estate in Ngara have expressed fear of losing their hard-earned money.

Years later, the day they hoped to move into their new homes is still nowhere in sight, even as the contractor and the Nairobi City County Government assure them that the first occupants will begin moving in from February 2026.

But this is not the first time they have heard such promises. Some investors now suspect they may be getting conned and are calling for the intervention of the Head of State.

In February 2018, City Hall announced the construction of 1,800 affordable housing units at Nairobi Bachelors Jeevanjee Estate in Ngara, Nairobi.

The project, which was expected to be completed within two years, would be fully developed by Jabavu Village Limited, with the county providing land and the units sold to buyers.

According to Nairobi County Secretary Godfrey Akumali, allocation of the units would be subdivided between the county and the developer.

“The county will get 30% of the units developed and the developer will have 70%, which he will be able to dispose of and recover his resources,” he said.

Two hundred members of Taqwa Savings and Credit Cooperative have since paid Sh387,500,000 to the developer.

This disbursement represents 67 percent of the total amount required to secure the homes fully.

They reveal they stopped injecting more money after noticing that the rate at which they were paying for the homes was not consistent with the pace of construction.

One hundred investors were each eyeing two-bedroom units costing Sh2.5 million each.

The other one hundred investors targeted three-bedroom units priced at Sh3.5 million each.

They told NTV they were willing to complete the payment of Sh600 million only if the developer’s construction milestones matched their financial commitment.

According to the agreement, handover was set for December 15, 2022, with the developer expected to vacate the site on or before October 31, 2022.

Their dream still feels far off, even as construction continues, because the project stalled for years after the old buildings occupying the site were demolished and around 80 former residents moved out in 2018 to pave the way for construction. The former residents are set to receive part of the county’s allocated units.

“The county government has acknowledged the long delay in handover and occupancy but is hopeful that in the new year the long wait will be over,” Akumali said.

“The developer is back on site. In fact, by the end of January 2026, Block 3 and 4 will be ready for occupation. The full project will be complete and ready to hand over by the end of June 2027,” he added.

A visit to the site revealed visible progress, yet members of Taqwa Sacco feel left behind. To them, the authorities’ assurances amount to empty promises, and only tangible results will restore their trust. They are now calling on the President to intervene.

“So many families have been broken due to this project. So many buildings, so many properties have been auctioned because of the loans that have been taken for this project. We are appealing, because given time this will become a time bomb. We are afraid and we suspect we are being conned,” lamented Shariff Hussein, a prospective homeowner.

Frustrated by what they see as minimal progress, poor accountability and the absence of a clear completion timeline, the petitioners sought intervention from the Nairobi City County Assembly.

They had earlier approached the National Assembly and the Senate, but their petition was declined as the matter was still under review at the County Assembly.

They have also written to the Affordable Housing Board under the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development in search of a resolution.

At one point, in what Taqwa Sacco members describe as a rare communication from Jabavu, a letter dated March 1, 2023 attributed the delay to factors beyond the developer’s control.

It cited Covid-19 lockdowns, global material shortages and price spikes, Kenya’s reliance on imported construction inputs and the added impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, particularly the doubling of steel prices.

Jabavu further noted that election-period uncertainty slowed progress.

Chris Abuga, an official from Mateal Africa Ltd, one of the contractors working under Jabavu, acknowledged the challenges but expressed confidence that only finishing touches remain, saying there is no cause for alarm.

“We are envisioning finishing these two towers by the end of January. Towers 1 and 2, by August, because even partitioning is done in those towers, and then the rest of the site by the end of next year,” he said.