Physical Planning, Lands, Housing & Urban Development

About

The United Nations Council for Human Settlement (UNCHS 2001) highlights the urgent need to provide shelters for the low-income population in urban and rural areas and in underprivileged sections of the developing countries The County Government will endeavour to maintain and renovate dilapidated civil servants and Institutional houses as well as developing new infrastructure. The Department of housing will lay emphasis on the application of appropriate building technologies in addressing acute shortage and high cost of housing through training, community sensitization, and collaborate with training institutions and development partners. More emphasis will be on provision of relevant infrastructure and services, and community participation in integrated approaches to upgrading, re-development and improvement programs to settlements.

In about forty years time frame, the rural households growth has doubled [NBO 1999] but still there is a mismatch between the demand and supply with respect to housing sector. The issue of provision of shelter facilities to all is a challenging task and calls for immediate attention because of the diversified nature of the problems and magnitude. The United Nations Council for Human Settlement (UNCHS 2001) highlights the urgent need to provide shelters for the low-income population in urban and rural areas and in underprivileged sections of the developing countries The County Government will endeavour to maintain and renovate dilapidated civil servants and Institutional houses as well as developing new infrastructure. The Department of housing will lay emphasis on the application of appropriate building technologies in addressing acute shortage and high cost of housing through training, community sensitization, and collaborate with training institutions and development partners. More emphasis will be on provision of relevant infrastructure and services, and community participation in integrated approaches to upgrading, re-development and improvement programs to settlements.

Team

Hon. Grace Kanguha Kadenge

County Executive Committee Member

Arch. Victor Kivaya Cheye

Chief Officer - Public Health

Vision

A Lead provider of sustainable land management, smart urban infrastructure and affordable quality housing in the County. To Provide Excellent, Affordable, Adequate and Quality Civil Servants Housing and County Government offices in Vihiga County.

Mission

To improve livelihoods of civil servants and general public through provision of well managed houses and office accommodation, and enhance the use of technology in housing sector.

To Promote Efficient, effective and Sustainable Land use, Decent and Adequate Housing For all In a Clean and Secure Environment.

Mandate of the Department

The new constitutional dispensation resulted in the emergence of new Governance structure in the Country. The mandate of the Department is anchored in Part II section 5 of the County Government Act No.17 of 2012, Legal Notice No.17 of 2013 of Transition to County Government Act, Survey Act Cap 299 of 2010 and the Physical Planning Act of 1996. The Housing Sector Functions both at the National and County Government are guided by a number of policy documents reference to which include: the revised Housing Act of 1990; Sessional Paper No.3 of 2004 on National Housing Policy. The core mandates include:

- Spatial planning, regulation and sustainable land use

- Property valuation for various purposes

- Upgrading informal settlements and slum prevention

- Construction and management of civil servants houses

- Management of map amendment centres

- Develop and implement policies on Land, Housing, urban and physical planning county

- Generation, maintenance and dissemination of accurate and update geo-data

- Promote the use of appropriate building technologies in construction of affordable housing in the county

Stakeholders forum

H.E. Dr. Wilber Ottichilo - Governor Vihiga County today held a Stakeholders meeting at Mulukhoro Luanda Sub- County over planned upgrade of Luanda Town to a Municipality. The Stakeholders who comprised of various interest groups such as the Mama Mboga, Bodaboda, Youth, People Living With Disabilities, The Business Community, among others were taken through the paces on the processes involved in coming up with a Municipality. A Municipal Charter will be drafted by the County Department of Lands, Housing and Urban Planning and forwarded to the County assembly for debate and approval. The Charter provides a roadmap on the formation of a municipality. Once achieved, people of Luanda Town will experience development in general infrastructure, sewerage system, street lighting, access to clean water, affordable housing just to mention a few. The Governor also said plans are also underway to have another Municipality in Kaimosi in Hamisi sub County.

Vihiga goes Digital

Vihiga County stands to be amongst the few counties to have set up a digitized land registration system. This is after the commissioning of a Land Registration centre by the Chief Administrative Secretary (CAS) for Lands Alex Mbiru at the County Headquarters. Residents will now have an easier task of getting title deeds locally unlike the previous times where they have had to go all the way to Kakamega County. â€œLands is the Ministry of production. Once we digitize our land related matters, we shall minimize Land disputes. As a County we plan to engage the Youth in use of the equipment. I request the ministry to help fast Track acquisition of Maps and Title Deeds held in Kakamega,â€ said Governor Ottichilo. â€œI would like to further urge County and National Government team to equip the office with Modern Equipment to help the people working there to have an easier time to deliver services effectively,â€ he further noted.