For those of us who have visited the informal settlements otherwise colloquially referred to as the slums in different parts of this Country will attest to the poor living conditions experienced there and which can only be summed up in one phrase, “places of despair and hopelessness.”
The unfortunate circumstances of those living in majority of these shanty homes range from lack of clean water to sewage effluent spillage running openly through their shacks appallingly posing a serious health risk particularly to their children as they play around.
Besides the sewer is the very high risk of loss of life and property due to the spontaneous fires that frequently break in these houses owing to their nature.
Kibera, Mathare and Mukuru Kwa Njenga forms part of these settlements in Nairobi County where thousands of people have learned to call home for the most part of their lives.
In these slums, parents can only hope their children are not swallowed by crime in their desperate attempts to secure a better life.
However, the enhanced construction of the Affordable Housing units under President Ruto’s reign is slowly bringing back hope to those living in these areas as it reignites their hope for a better life.
At the time when floods sweep different parts of the country, slum dwellers are usually hit the hardest with their miseries ranging from having their shelter roofs blown away by the rainstorms to houses filling up with storm water and drainage effluents as well as lives and property being destroyed.
Hundreds of the Mukuru Kwa Njenga residents opened a new chapter on 20th May this year as the President officially handed them 1, 080 units in a colorful ceremony, which saw them start a new journey not as slum dwellers but as the new property owners in the block.
In his speech the President was more than delighted and stated that the project was not a just a dream come true for Mukuru residents but was also an important day in his political life.
The President’s BETA Plan agenda promises to provide millions of Affordable Housing Units to Kenyans by 2027, thereby guaranteeing quality and affordable housing to all Kenyans.
The Mukuru Affordable Housing Project is just one of the many housing projects the President has been able to deliver in the three years since he came into presidency.
As of 2025 the number of housing units that are under construction are 161, 911 which is an increase compared to the 8,872 in 2022.
The Affordable Housing Project has as a ripple effect, created job opportunities for Kenyans and strengthened the Jua Kali Industry’s Capacity.
The total number of jobs created has increased from 17,744 workers in 2022 to 330,000 workers in 2025.
The Jua Kali Industry has also seen the number of artisans who have received On-site recognition of Prior Learning Certification rise from 0 in 2022 to 1, 017 in 2025.
Winnie Wanjala, a mother of two who has lived in one of the iron sheets houses in Mukuru kwa Njenga for the last seven years is a delighted woman for owning a house with water, toilet and connected electricity courtesy of the Affordable Housing Program which is more than a dream for her.
As she heads to the kitchen to prepare supper for her two children she can only thank the Government for making the impossible possible.
Wanjala is not the only one who has benefited from the Affordable Housing Project according to the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development.
The Ministry reports that at least Kshs.11 billion has been channeled to Jua Kali artisans and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in the Affordable Housing program and Market Programmes, which include businesses supplying construction materials and other services.
With the government lining up new housing projects in each county, the communities are set to benefit from the various opportunities.
From food supplies to construction materials the projects have impacted supply chains in a big way.
Individuals can now enroll in the different TVET institutions with the hope that once their course is over they are guaranteed a job in either of the ongoing affordable housing projects in the country.
The “Mama mbogas” have also not been left behind as they set up their kiosks near some of the housing projects’ construction sites and provided construction workers with food.
With this hustle, they are able to continue feeding their families and have no worry about their families’ survival.
The President has indeed in his three years’ in power, delivered on part of his BETA promises especially in the housing bit, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura says.
The Spokesperson notes that the government has made considerable progress in transforming the lives of ordinary Kenyans through its Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, popularly known as the BETA Plan.
“With this year marking the third anniversary of the Kenya Kwanza administration, now a broad-based government, where considerable progress has been reported in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, housing, small businesses and the digital and creative economy, the government remains steadfast in turning its promises into tangible results for a stronger, inclusive and more prosperous country,” the spokesperson affirms.
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