By Waithera Chege, MCA Nairobi South B Ward
For many Kenyan families, owning a decent home remains a distant dream. In our towns and cities, thousands of hardworking citizens wake up every morning in overcrowded settlements, paying high rents for poor living conditions while struggling to meet the rising cost of living. .
Housing is not merely about shelter; it is about dignity, security and opportunity.
That is why affordable housing must remain one of Kenya’s most important national priorities and in this gest,we have to recognise that Kenya’s housing deficit continues to grow rapidly due to urbanisation and population increase.
Government data estimates that Kenya requires approximately 250,000 new housing units annually, yet only about 50,000 are built every year, leaving a deficit of nearly 200,000 homes. This gap has pushed millions of Kenyans into informal settlements where access to sanitation, healthcare, water and security remains.
The Affordable Housing Programme introduced under the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda seeks to address this crisis by providing homes for low- and middle-income earners.
The programme categorises housing according to income levels, ensuring that ordinary wananchi are not locked out of home ownership opportunities. While debate around the programme continues, there is no denying that affordable housing is necessary for Kenya’s economic and social transformation.
First, affordable housing restores human dignity. Every Kenyan deserves the constitutional right to accessible and adequate housing. Families living in decent homes enjoy better health outcomes, improved safety and stronger family stability.
Children raised in safe environments perform better in school and are less exposed to crime and substance abuse. Housing therefore directly contributes to the social wellbeing of communities.
Secondly, affordable housing creates jobs and stimulates economic growth. Construction projects employ thousands of young people directly on building sites and indirectly through supply chains involving cement, steel, transport, electrical works and furniture manufacturing. Government reports indicate that the programme has generated employment opportunities for youth while supporting small businesses and artisans in the Jua Kali sector.
At a time when unemployment remains a major challenge, housing projects provide an important economic lifeline.
The programme is also helping to modernise urban centres and reduce the expansion of slums. In Nairobi and other growing towns, unplanned settlements have stretched public infrastructure beyond capacity. Affordable housing developments offer an opportunity to create organised communities with roads, drainage systems, schools, healthcare centres and green spaces.
President William Ruto recently reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transforming informal settlements into dignified living spaces through housing development.
Critics have raised concerns regarding affordability, transparency and implementation of the housing levy.
These concerns should not be ignored.
Kenyans deserve accountability, fair allocation processes and assurance that housing units genuinely reach deserving citizens. Public participation and oversight are essential in ensuring that the programme achieves its intended goals.