NATIONAL HOUSING CORPORATION THROWS ITS WEIGHT BEHIND KAWE SATELLITE CITY DEVELOPMENT

National Housing Corporation Director General, Nehemiah Kyando Mchechu.

The state-owned real estate developer, National Housing Corporation (NHC), is envisioning to develop the proposed $2.2 billion dollars (about 4.9trl/-) Kawe Satellite City into an eventful central business district, initially slated to operate for 20 hours a day.

“At present the existing CBD in downtown Dar es Salaam operates for just eight to ten hours – even though the country’s commercial capital contributes almost 60 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – hence the need to create another vibrant business district to boost the economy.

“Through public-private partnership between NHC and private real estate developers we envisage to fully accomplish this mega project in the next 10 to 15 years,” the Director General of National Housing Corporation (NHC), Mr Nehemiah Mchechu, has stated.

According to Mr Mchechu, the current master plan for the central business district in Dar es Salaam’s inner city does not provide necessities for a modern city with ever increasing population growth.

The envisaged satellite city in Kawe will involve over 500 buildings. “It’s our vision to have a relevant satellite city with provisions for at least the next 50 years,” Mr Mchechu said during a briefing session with local councillors from Kinondoni Municipality who were on a familiarization tour of NHC projects in Dar es Salaam.

The first phase of the project has already kicked off with construction of 262 housing units, shopping malls, movie theatres, hotels, restaurants, parking lots in addition to play grounds, swimming pools entertainment spots, among other amenities.

Dubbed 711 and set for completion towards the end of 2019, the proposed facility will also have a helipad and landing stages adjacent to Indian Ocean’s coast. “We want to allow residents, shoppers and other people to access the facility by helicopters, boats and road.

The good news is that the government has assured us of widening the Mwai Kibaki Road to four lanes from Morocco junction which will be linked to Bagamoyo Road,” he explained.

During the tour, the Kinondoni Municipality’s Chairperson for Urban Planning and Environment Committee, Mr Songoro Mnyonge, described the project as a game changer for Kawe and surrounding areas.

“NHC approached us before planning this project and we are happy that construction work for the 711 project is on progress. During and after completion of the project our people will be able to secure both direct and indirect jobs,” he stated.

The Committee Chair who is also the Local Councillor for Mwananyamala, mentioned other expected benefits as increased property and business taxes in addition to service levy to be imposed on service providers.

Daily News