For the last 25 years, successive governments have made the provision of affordable housing a key cog in their manifestos, buoyed by grim housing statistics.
At 21.3 per cent, Kenya is among African countries with the lowest home ownership among urban dwellers, while the country has had an annual housing deficit of 200,000 units. On the other hand, developers can only offload 50,000 units to the market.
However, the country lacks a clear roadmap for reducing the deficit. For example, the late President Mwai Kibaki came up with the Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme (KENSUP) in partnership with UN-HABITAT, which delivered 900 units in Nairobi’s Kibera slums.
For the last 25 years, successive governments have made the provision of affordable housing a key cog in their manifestos, buoyed by grim housing statistics.
By Peter Muiruri