Watumishi Housing, Chinese firm ink Sh18.6 billion deal
What you need to know:
- The construction is expected to begin in two weeks and will last for 18 months, involving the construction of 12-storey buildings using technology typically used in bridge construction, due to the nature of the area and the presence of water.
Dar es Salaam. Watumishi Housing Investment (WHI) has entered into an agreement with the Chinese contractor Shandong Hi-Speed Group for the construction of 101 houses at Mikocheni Migombani Street at a value of ShSh18.6 billion.
The construction is expected to begin in two weeks and will last for 18 months, involving the construction of 12-storey buildings using technology typically used in bridge construction, due to the nature of the area and the presence of water.
Speaking yesterday after the signing of the contract, WHI Chief Executive Officer Dr Fred Msemwa said the selling price of the houses when completed will range between Sh99 million and Sh243 million.
“It may seem that the cost is high compared to similar houses we have built in other areas, but this is due to the increase in the price of construction materials and the availability of dollars,” he said.
However, a survey conducted by WHI found that their houses are priced between 10 percent and 40 percent lower than similar houses available in the Mikocheni area.
According to Dr Msemwa, the construction of these houses is part of a project to build 218 houses in the regions of Dodoma, Lindi, Mtwara, Singida, Pwani, and Ruvuma during the 2024/25 financial year.
“We expect public servants under the Public Servant Housing Scheme to seize the opportunity to own better houses at affordable prices,” he said, adding to date, WHI has already built 1,003 houses in 19 regions.
He mentioned that the construction will use modern technology from China, with the project managed by WHI in collaboration with a Tanzanian company the goal is to learn new technology that can later be utilized by locals and to reduce costs.
For his part, Shandong Hi-Speed Group Country Director Mr Li Manchao thanked WHI for trusting them with the construction of the 101 houses in Mikocheni.
“We are confident in our work.
We have been in Tanzania since 2008 and have completed various projects.
We hope to deliver the same high quality in this project,” he said.
