How Turkish Firm Plans to Build Cheap Homes in Kenya

A Turkish investor is seeking to partner with the Government and the private sector to provide decent, low-cost housing units across East Africa.

Elsek-Elsek Construction Limited Housing, which has set base in Kenya, is coming up with a new technology that would ensure that houses are made affordable and available in quality short time.

Elsek Kenya is spearheading a new technology that uses prefabricated building techniques using fibre cement and galvanised steel.

Backed by experienced staff and modernised machinery at its main factory, the firm is taking advantage of the larger East African Community market and has made inroads in Rwanda.

“We are eyeing the larger East African market and hope to make a mark by providing decent and affordable housing for the masses,’’ Osman said.

The new technology uses walls made of fibre cement boards which are bulletproof up to 9 mm and fireproof up to 800 degrees Celsius.

The walls are made of cement, stone and glue chemicals for strength and the windows are double glass or glazing for high insulation.

Already several clients have been lining up at the company’s Miritini factory and headquarters offices in Mombasa County to place orders for prefabricated houses.

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A model house put up for demonstrational purposes at the Mamba Discotheque in the upmarket Nyali area has proved to be popular with hundreds of clients.

Elsek Group of Companies chief executive, Osman Erdinc Elsek says that the new technology of constructing low-cost housing is at a very affordable cost requiring very elementary skills.

“Time of construction using this technology is very short. The technology utilises unwelded galvanised steel structures that act as the framework upon which covering fabric is made using fibre cement,’’ Osman said.

The firm has rolled out an ambitious programme that will see potential house owners acquire two or three-bedroomed houses on mortgage fully financed by the firm. Among the firm’s corporate clients are Presbyterian University of East Africa put up in 1988.

Elsek also constructed the terminal building for Siginon Freight Company at Changamwe using prefabrication technology.

In Rwanda where the company has opened an office to service its growing clientele, the company has signed an agreement to construct Rwanda’s premier Tourism University College in Kigali.

And in efforts geared towards tapping potential in the region, the Turkish firm has won a tender to put up the Spanish Consulate in Southern Sudan.

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