Owners of illegal constructions on government estates in the coastal city of Mombasa have been put on notice to remove the unauthorized structures or brace for demolition in two months time.
Members of the Mombasa Housing Committee who toured several government estates were shocked to find the extent of the rot as some estates resembled informal settlements.
The committee under the leadership of the area County Commissioner (CC) John Otieno found some residential houses turned into business premises in complete disregard of the rules regulating government estates.
“We have come face to face to the mushrooming of unauthorized structures that exists in government estates and it’s a situation that we cannot allow to continue,” he said, adding that owners of unauthorized structures including civil servants have 60 days to remove them or face demolition.
Besides rental mabati houses constructed within government quarters, other illegal activities including workshops, garages, selling of diesel, retail shops and abattoir.
Otieno said the illegal entities were denying the government much needed revenue as they are not licensed, pose threat to security and also create grounds for greedy individuals to grab government land.
Last week, the committee during its inaugural meeting cautioned civil servants occupying government estates against engaging in illegal activities.
The committee sounded the alarm that some of the tenants were going against the government estates tenancy rules and that occupants were engaged in illegal activities such as drug running.
“We will not allow government houses to be reduced into illegal business structures, drug dens and criminal hideouts,” said the County Commissioner.
The Administrator also warned of eviction to those subletting government houses to other individuals whether government employees or otherwise.
He said “it is not fair for some civil servants to abuse the privilege of living in government quarters while other deserving public officers rent houses at market rate.”
The County Commissioner directed the Department of Housing to undertake full inventory of all government houses and a census of occupants.
At the same time, Otieno said the government is keen to address the housing needs of urban dwellers by funding various affordable housing projects across the country.
He urged civil servants to take advantage of the Housing Scheme Fund (CSHSF) that was established to help those of modest income to own affordable and decent homes.