Shelter Afrique to foot Everest Park repair cost

Shelter Afrique head of risk management Mouhamaduo Gueye (left) and chief finance officer Kingsley Muwowo during a media briefing at their Nairobi office. photo | salaton njau 

By BONFACE OTIENO

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Summary

• The firm will bear the cost of repairs at their Athi River estate, Everest Park Apartment Phase 1.
• The move comes after regulator found 240 houses unsafe after cracks developed.
• NBI concluded that the construction work was shoddy and instructed the developer to come up with a repair plan for the faulty buildings.

Housing financier Shelter Afrique and Everest Park Limited will bear the cost of repairs at their Athi River estate, Everest Park Apartment Phase 1, which was found to be structurally unsound.

The National Building Inspectorate (NBI) in January found some 240 houses to be unfit for occupation, forcing some home buyers and tenants to seek alternative accommodation.

“Shelter Afrique with the partner (Everest Park Limited) has decided to take charge of the repair costs,” said Shelter Afrique’s head of risk management Mouhamaduo Gueye in an interview.

“We want to make sure that people who bought those houses or who are renting them can get back to their houses soonest possible.

NBI was called in to ascertain the fitness of the Sh912 million houses. It releases its report in December.

The houses had developed cracks on the walls, the window frames on the canopy were quashed and several window panes were broken.

NBI concluded that the construction work was shoddy and instructed the developer to come up with a repair plan for the faulty buildings.

“The point here at this moment is not to talk about liability. All we want to see is home owners and those who are renting getting back to their houses,” said Mr Gueye.

READ: Buyers face loss as 240 houses are found unfit

This was the first phase of the expansive estate, which has 120 one-bedroomed units priced at Sh2.6 million each, 60 two-bedroom units costing Sh4.5 million each and 60 three-bedroom units selling at Sh5.5 million each.

The second phase begun in January 2016 and ended last December, featuring one to three-bedroom units.

This saw an additional 200 housing units and a commercial centre put up at a cost of Sh755 million.

Homes in the second phase are priced at between Sh2.5 million and Sh6.5 million.