Mombasa County has halted construction at the Buxton Point affordable housing project, saying the developer failed to meet obligations agreed with the county government and commitments made to families displaced by the redevelopment. County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Urban Planning and Housing Mohamed Hussein announced the immediate suspension on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.

Hussein said construction would remain stopped until the outstanding commitments were fulfilled and the county reached an agreement with the developer and the national government. “There is an agreement between the county and the national government before construction is done. The obligations have not been met,” he said.

What the county says it is owed

At the centre of the dispute is an agreement entitling Mombasa County to 10 per cent of the housing units and commercial spaces built under the joint venture — about 180 units from a project of roughly 1,800 homes. People Daily reports that the entitlement is set out in an addendum to the joint venture agreement signed on 15 January 2020.

In correspondence dated 22 September 2026, the county demanded that the developer allocate and transfer its share, provide performance security equal to 10 per cent of construction costs for each phase, and settle outstanding project development fees. The county also raised unresolved planning matters, including a suspension order issued on 2 April 2026.

Families displaced seven years ago

The redevelopment has been dogged by concern over the resettlement of former tenants. Capital FM reports that 522 tenants were displaced from the old Buxton Estate on 5 March 2021, each receiving Sh240,000 for relocation. Residents say they were promised Sh300,000 to cover a year’s rent and priority allocation of the new homes, but seven years on many are still waiting.

The project is a partnership between Mombasa County, then under Governor Hassan Joho, and private investors led by businessman Suleiman Shahbal. The suspension adds to scrutiny of the national Affordable Housing Programme, which also faces a Supreme Court appeal filed on 9 November seeking to stop the 1.5 per cent housing levy. The county has not said when construction might resume.