Bold leadership and political goodwill have made it possible for the government to implement the Affordable Housing Programme across the country, President William Ruto has said.
The President pointed out that there was initial opposition to the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme, but that has been easing as the projects got underway.
Speaking during the opening of the Second African Urban Forum at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi on Thursday, he attributed the initial to resistance to political opponents, court cases, and the mandatory housing levy.
The event brought together representatives from over 40 African countries.
“Affordable housing is not just about houses. It’s about people, dignity, careers, jobs and business,” President Ruto explained.
He pointed out that at least 273,000 housing units are under construction in over 200 construction sites with over 640,000 people working.
President Ruto said seven million Kenyans live in 1,140 informal settlements, pointing out that the Affordable Housing Programme will reduce and eventually eliminate this social challenge.
The President said such informal settlements are characterised by high-density, sub-standard housing, lack of infrastructure, and limited access to basic services.
He said Kenya is proud to be among the leading African nations implementing the Affordable Housing Programme, one of the most consequential programmes in the country.
“The Affordable Housing Programme is also slowly rolling back land fragmentation that threatens large-scale farming, and food security,” he said.
The President told the participants that Kenya is using locally raised resources to build houses, modern markets, institutional housing and hostels for university and college students.
“So far, we have signed contracts worth $4 billion and we have borrowed any money in this programme,” he said.
Pointing out that affordable housing is one of the most consequential programmes to be implemented in Kenya, he explained that the public has embraced the programme.
Despite the transformative effect of the programme, the President pointed out, critics, especially political forces, keep pushing back against it.
“Change always has a price. However, the price of change is eventually lower than that of the status quo,” President Ruto said.
Additionally, the President thanked Parliament for passing the necessary legislation that led to the successful implementation of the projects.
Likewise, he thanked county governments for embracing the Affordable Housing Programme, providing land and fast-tracking the necessary approvals.
“I am impressed by the support accorded to this project by the county governments. We should always work together on programmes that transform the lives of our people, ” he said.
Africa Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment Moses Vilakati said partnerships are key to addressing disaster risks in informal settlements in the continent.
“There is need for African governments to seek innovative financing to ensure implementation of priority projects,” Vilakati explained.
United Nations Under- Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat Anaclaudia Rossbach commended President Ruto for championing for “the visible progress” in Kenya’s housing transformation.
“The UN-Habitat is ready to support Kenya in the implementation of the housing project because it’s transforming lives,” Rossbach noted.
On his part, Anar Guliyev, the chairperson of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, praised Kenya for taking the lead in addressing problems related to informal settlements.
At the same time, Shelter Afrique Development Bank Managing Director Thiemo Habib Hann said the housing gap in Africa should not be “a challenge to manage, but an opportunity to seize”.
“We are working closely with our partners to mobilise capital and unlock the potential in the housing sector,” he said.
Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome said Kenya is successfully implementing affordable housing because of political will from the President.
“Kenya stands ready to share its commitments and learn from other countries on how better to implement the project,” Ms Wahome said.
