Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has called on African nations to draw lessons from Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme, describing it as a transformative initiative aimed at delivering dignified and affordable living spaces for millions of urban residents.
Speaking on Friday during the closing ceremony of the 2nd Africa Urban Forum held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi, Prof. Kindiki said Kenya had made significant progress in addressing housing challenges through deliberate policy action and political will.
“We are inviting you to see what you can learn from our affordable housing model as you seek to implement your own models,” he said.
Speaking the DP at the same time urged leaders across the continent to adopt practical and scalable housing solutions aimed at delivering dignified and affordable living spaces for millions of urban residents.
He emphasized that Kenya had moved beyond rhetoric to action, noting that the government had prioritized implementation despite facing political resistance and structural challenges that had stalled similar efforts in the past.
“Kenya has made its choice. We have chosen action and we invite the continent to move with the same urgency, the same clarity and the same commitment,” he added.
Prof. Kindiki observed that although affordable housing had featured prominently in political manifestos since 2002, successive administrations had failed to actualize the agenda due to the complexities involved.
However, he credited the current administration under President William Ruto for taking bold steps to implement the long-awaited programme.
“For five election cycles, both winning parties and runners-up promised affordable housing, but none implemented it because of the challenges that came with it. In 2022, President William Ruto decided the time had come to face those challenges head-on,” he noted.
The Deputy President highlighted key milestones achieved so far, revealing that approximately 270,000 housing units are currently nearing completion under the programme.
He expressed confidence that the government is on track to meet its ambitious target of delivering one million homes.
“The next milestone which we will achieve shortly is reaching one million homes under this project,” he stated.
In addition to providing housing, Kindiki noted the programme has also created significant employment opportunities.
According to him , about 600,000 Kenyans who were previously unemployed have secured jobs through the initiative with projections to reach one million beneficiaries in the near future.
He further said the government has also entered into contracts worth over five billion dollars with 800 contractors tasked with implementing the housing projects.
The second in command at the same time clarified that 799 of these contractors are Kenyan-owned firms, underscoring the programme’s role in promoting local enterprise and economic growth.
“Kenya’s affordable housing project will continue and we hope that under President Ruto, we will be able to cushion the programme from policy disruption, which is common in developing countries,” he said.
Prof. Kindiki further challenged African countries to ensure that commitments made during the forum, particularly those captured in the Nairobi Declaration, are translated into tangible outcomes.
“The commitments made must translate into projects delivered, units constructed and lives improved. This will require the governments to act, strengthen enabling environments, streamline approvals and ensure that policy supports delivery at scale,” he noted.
