The Kenya Kwanza Government has launched approximately 160,000 housing units across the country since March 2024, this is according to James Maina, the Director of National Housing.

Speaking on Saturday, October 5 during the UDA Comrades Chapter, Nakuru Edition, Maina said that President William Ruto’s administration is deliberate and committed to providing 200,000 affordable housing units.

“In Nakuru, we have completed 605 units in Bondeni area. We still have 220 units in Elburgon, 220 units in Molo, and we are expecting to complete this houses by December 2024. We started this houses in January. Rarely do a government project get completed within the timelines set,” Maina said.

He told the youth (university and college students) convened at the Kunste Hotel for the town hall meeting that it is a right of every citizen to demand from the government the right to a livable house.

“Today, after years of trying to sort out the housing in our urban areas, we have a shortfall of two million houses, and the demand every year is 250,000 a year. We have only being able to provide 50,000 houses. The implication of this is that our cities aren’t developing properly. If we are not intentional and strategic in this, slums will develop,” he added.

Maina rued that the fact that a majority of Kenyans earn below KSh50,000 means that they can only use about 30% of their salaries towards their housing needs. “This means that most of our people cannot be able to own a home. They end up living in expensive informal settlements and end up paying three times more than those who live uptown. This is why as a government we are deliberate on the affordable housing programme.”

The beauty of the affordable housing programme, Maina insisted, is the twin cycle of creation of employment.

The theme of the Nakuru Town Hall is “Comrades for inclusive leadership in political processes”.

Today’s panel discussion will be focusing on the importance of youth inclusion in leadership and governance, and digital economy and ICT/technological transfer.

The panel discussion will also dwell on export of labour/local opportunities/access to market, jobs, and services, access to education, skills development and training, as well as the Universal Health Care (UHC).

UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar and MSMEs Principal Secretary Ms Susan Mang’eni are gracing the town hall meeting.