Kenya’s President Ruto Envisions Transforming Slums like Kibera Into Modern Estates within 10 Years

Speaking at a church service in Nairobi’s Langata area, the head of state said that the affordable housing project that is currently being rolled out will face out the slums to give Kenyans a modest living.

“We are removing people from the slums. Kibera and all the other slums within Nairobi will not be there in 10 years. We will change it into an estate,” he said.

Ruto further stated that the huge number of Kenyans still living in slums should be a huge concern to the country, calling on those opposed to the housing project to appreciate its long term objectives.

Currently, more than 6.5 million Kenyans live in slums spread across the country.

President Ruto has recently been launching affordable housing projects across the country in what he says is anchored on availing decent housing to Kenyans living in those informal settlements.

The President has already commissioned 17, 850 units in Mukuru, Rongai and Kibera to ease the housing burden affecting low-income earners.

The Programme targets the over 6.5 million Kenyans living in slums and informal settlements and is undertaken in partnership between the national and county governments.

“The number of people who have a mortgage in Kenya is less than 40,000. We should have around 1.5 million people paying a mortgage to become homeowners.

But the problem is that we do not have houses that ordinary people can buy. The houses that are being built are highly priced,” President Ruto had earlier stated.

The housing plan is aimed at expanding access to quality and secure dwelling places as well as presenting opportunities for gainful employment and wealth creation to millions of Kenyan youth.