The Affordable Housing Program reflects a global demand as nations face increasing pressure to address informal settlements in urban areas.
This according to Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development, Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome who stressed that the housing project is a global necessity not unique to Kenya or President William Ruto’s administration.
“Affordable Housing is not an isolated case of Kenya or William Ruto. It is a global demand where countries are under immense pressure to deal with informal settlements in towns,” said CS Wahome.
Speaking during a seminar hosted by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) in collaboration with the University of Nairobi Faculty of Law and the FAO under the EU-funded Digital Land Governance Programme (DLGP), CS Wahome announced the formation of a special committee to resolve issues related to public land particularly where Affordable Housing projects are located, an area of growing public interest and concern.
The Cabinet Secretary assured the public that the Ministry, in conjunction with the National Land Commission and through public engagement, will issue individual sectional titles to home buyers under the Affordable Housing initiative.
She noted that the move is intended to guarantee tenure security and increase public trust in the program.
CS Wahome further called on members of the Law Society of Kenya to consider the broader constitutional responsibility of the government, as outlined in Article 43, to ensure access to adequate housing for all Kenyans.
“You cannot be living in a slum and claim to be number one in terms of development and security. Informal settlements negatively impact a country’s global development rating,” she noted.
The CS reaffirmed her ministry’s commitment to working closely with LSK and all stakeholders to address any emerging challenges related to the Ardhisasa system and to improve service delivery across Lands offices nationwide.
The seminar, themed “Strengthening Land Management Systems to Safeguard Sanctity of Titles in Kenya,” brought together legal, academic, and policy experts to deliberate on securing land tenure and improving land governance systems in the country.
