The Addis Ababa City Administration has announced a new strategy to sustainably modernize the city’s land use by replacing Kebele-owned houses situated on strategic plots with modern, high-rise condominium complexes of four, five, or more floors.
During a consultative meeting with city leadership Mayor Adanech Abebe confirmed that this new approach is a core component of the administration’s 90-day winter plan.
It was emphasized during the session that the previous practice of simply patching up aging Kebele houses with paint and corrugated iron sheets will be officially discontinued.
Mayor Adanech explained that to optimize land use, the city will identify government-held properties with large compounds in strategic locations for redevelopment into high-rise buildings capable of accommodating a larger number of residents on a smaller footprint.
The Mayor stated that rather than incurring high compensation costs to acquire new land for development, the government should prioritize replacing existing, spacious Kebele sites with modern housing.
Adanech noted that this serves as an alternative that reduces additional government expenditure while ensuring efficient land utilization. The strategy aims to benefit existing residents alongside new segments of the population rather than displacing the current occupants.
Mayor Adanech asserted that the government’s role is to support the vulnerable, not to displace residents arbitrarily. She directed that original residents will be primary beneficiaries when new houses are constructed on these sites, and that this process will be implemented as a special movement under the 90-day plan.
Furthermore, the City Administration has issued a directive that spacious plots currently occupied by Kebele housing should be utilized for the construction of sustainable, permanent structures rather than maintenance work.
Regarding housing development, Mayor Adanech announced that actions taken against those who have occupied Kebele houses illegally will be managed with caution. A directive will be issued to identify illegal holdings, and she instructed leadership to avoid emotional decisions or acting without sufficient evidence.
She emphasized that the process must be conducted with transparency and fairness. Additionally, officials have been ordered to map and document all Kebele housing data for submission to the City Administration.
In addition to housing, the Mayor warned that the city will not permit flood-related damage during the rainy season to compromise the city’s image following the major transformation works currently underway.
It was also announced that the city aims to create 175,000 new jobs during the winter season, focusing on the industrial, agricultural, and volunteer sectors. To expand the revenue base and modernize tax collection, the administration plans to transition various land and trade services to a digital platform.
The meeting concluded with the assertion that the implementation of these plans rests on the shoulders of leadership at all levels, and performance will be evaluated regularly in detail.
