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Re-elected Kenyan president pledges a million homes by 2022

The government of Kenya has announced its intention of building a million affordable homes over the next five years as part of newly re-elected president Uhuru Kenyatta’s manifesto promise to improve the country’s housing stock.

A public-private partnership will be used to deliver 800,000 affordable units, with the other 200,000 will being built as social housing.

Aidah Munano, the principal secretary for housing, said last week: "The implementation of the programme calls for involvement of all stakeholders and will involve coming up with innovative delivery models."

Aidah Munano speaking at the Architectural Association of Kenya’s Awards (AAK)

Ms Munano was speaking during the Architectural Association of Kenya’s Awards of Excellence in Architecture in Nairobi. She added that housing was one of four areas that the government had prioritised as part of its drive to transform the country’s economy. Other targets include generating 15% of GDP from manufacturing, offering universal healthcare coverage and establishing food security. 

The scale of the challenge is evident from the Kibera slum, also in Nairobi. This area has few public services, including education, healthcare, law enforcement, electricity, water or sanitation, and the residents have no legal right to their land. Estimates of Kibera’s population vary wildly but are generally thought to be between 500,000 and 1 million. 

Top image: The Kibera slum in Nairobi, generally reckoned to be the largest in Africa (Schreibkraft/Creative Commons)

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