Residents of Kimathi, Magoko, Ziwani, and Bodeni estates in Thika are optimistic after the Kiambu County Assembly pledged to fast-track the process of granting them ownership of houses they have occupied for over 60 years.

The County Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Planning and Urbanization recently visited the estates following a petition by the residents, who have long sought title deeds for their homes.

These estates, built by the National Housing Corporation and located within the Thika municipality, include 127 houses in Kimathi, 90 in Ziwani, 28 in Magoko, and 34 in Bodeni.

Titus Macharia, a Kimathi estate resident since 1958, recalled that the houses were originally constructed by Norwegian International for Human Habitat to be distributed to occupants.

He shared that the residents have applied for ownership three times through the now-defunct Thika Municipal Council without success. Macharia expressed hope that the assembly’s intervention will finally lead to the issuance of title deeds.

Ngatha Wambiri, the chair of the Planning and Urbanization Committee, urged residents to provide the necessary documents to facilitate the process.

Area MCA John Njiru emphasized the urgency of resolving the matter, noting that other estates like Kameni in Thika, built during the same period, have already received title deeds.

Residents now await the outcome of the committee’s efforts, hoping to secure ownership of their homes after decades of uncertainty.