Nairobi Assembly Probes Stalled Sh387m Jeevanjee Housing Project

The Nairobi City County Assembly's Planning and Housing Committee has launched an inquiry into the prolonged delay in the completion of the Jeevanjee Housing Project, being undertaken by Jabavu Village Limited.

The move follows complaints from Taqwa Sacco, which says more than 200 of its members invested in the housing development and have collectively paid Sh387 million to Jabavu Village Limited.

Speaking before the committee, Taqwa Sacco representative Dunia Abdi Jarso said the stalled project has created a financial and governance crisis within the SACCO, with members increasingly accusing officials of colluding with the developer to defraud them of their savings. He said many investors had committed their life savings to the project, including pensioners and workers hoping to secure homes upon retirement.

Planning and Housing Committee chairman Geoffrey Majiwa said the committee would move swiftly to establish the circumstances that led to the stalling of the project despite substantial financing being available. According to Majiwa, questions have emerged over the utilisation of funds, including a reported Sh1.9 billion loan allegedly secured using a county title deed.

Majiwa said the committee had summoned the investor, including the company's directors and chairman, county officials and the affected investors, adding that officials from the county's Housing and Urban Development departments would also be required to appear and explain their role. “The project was supposed to be delivered within two years, but seven years later it remains incomplete,” he said. The inquiry is expected to examine the project's financing, implementation timeline, contractual obligations and the role of county officials.