The Kenya Government will embrace the use of smart technology in the construction of 250,000 low-cost houses annually, ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has announced. He spoke on Wednesday during the Kenya-Korea Smart City and Technology forum organized by the Korea Trade Centre (KOTRA) in Nairobi.
During the event, the CS emphasized that the Kenya government is committed to providing affordable housing as outlined in the Kenya Kwanza government agenda and technology will be key in actualizing the dream.
“Moving forward, we are going to explore viable collaborations and partnerships that tie up digital possibilities in the construction industry and with significance or particular emphasis on affordability and durability of Kenya Kwanza’s affordable housing agenda,” the CS said.
Mr Owalo reiterated the role of innovation in the construction sector in Kenya.
“The construction sector is challenged to keep up with the pace of digital technology and cope with the speed and rate of change in the dynamic operational environment. ICT innovations, therefore, are opening up new horizons of possibilities in the construction industry just like many other sectors of our global economy,” Owalo said.
The Cabinet Secretary’s sentiments were echoed by Jae Myung Koh, Minister Counsellor, at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kenya, who assured participants of the Korean government’s support in embracing smart technology.
“We have seen how Kenya is developing and fully committed to innovating coordinated green open and shared developments. We have also observed how Kenya has achieved remarkable results in promoting high quality growth and building a new development program like Konza City,” Mr Koh said.
Also in attendance was Kenneth Luusa, the Kenya Property Developers Association Chairman who emphasized the need to prioritize the adoption of progressive global trends in the construction industry.
In early October this year, President William Ruto announced that his government will construct 200,000 houses annually under the affordable housing program through a partnership program between County governments and private developers. The President said a mandatory housing fund would be created by the national assembly to facilitate this initiative
As of December 2021, the real estate industry’s contribution to Kenya’s economic growth stood at 6.7% making it an important player in the country’s GDP.
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