KENYA’S GOVERNMENT IN AMBITIOUS HOUSING SCHEME.
Posted by African Press International on February 16, 2011
By Thomas Ochieng, API-Reporter – Kenya
In a bid to uplift the living condition of the civil servants in the country,the Kenya government which elevated the housing department during the formation of the grand coalition government after the 2008 post-election violence,has come to pass as a blessing in disguise.
The bloated government was castigated for raising the salaries and other benefits for the bureaucrats in the country in the politicians in extension, but some of the newly created ministries are bearing positive results. For very long time the civil servants in Kenya were neglected lot,their living,working and remuneration left a lot to be desired.Most of the civil servant in the country particularly in the lower cadre were housed in dilapidated houses which led to apathy among the civil servants.This scenario is changing thanks to the elevation of the housing department to a full ministry.
“We have a very elaborate service delivery charter and strategic plan that spell out the objectives of providing the people of Kenya and the civil servants better housing” said the minister for housing Hon. Shitanda he added that as a ministry this plan had to be adhered to in totality.
The ministry has constructed houses for civil servants in all major towns in the country some of the houses have been put up in the leafy suburbs of the capital,Nairobi.”With good housing and better pay the government is attracting the best human resource never seen before in this country” the minister added.
The Kenyan story in the provision of better housing and working conditions should be emulated by other African countries to help check the persistent brain drain and shying away of qualified personnel to work in the public sector that has hampered the development of the continent.
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