Atleast 36,092 new affordable housing units have been initiated since President William Ruto took office, State House spokesperson Hussein Mohammed has said.
Giving an update on Wednesday, Hussein said the construction of the units is ongoing.
“Since President Ruto took office, 36,092 new units have been initiated in various regions, resulting in a substantial number of jobs,” he said.
Hussien said the overall target by the President is to construct 200,000 affordable housing units annually which will create between 600,000 and one million jobs each year.
In this Financial Year 2023-24, the government allocated Sh35.2 billion towards the Housing program.
The government has also mobilised resources to support the construction of affordable housing units and social housing units.
He announced part of the housing budget, Sh3.2 billion to go towards the affordable housing programme.
As of March 2023, 46,027 affordable housing units were under construction. Some were initiated by the Jubilee government.
The units were in nine sites which cumulatively created 43,000 direct opportunities for the youths.
Already, President Ruto has launched several projects in and outside Nairobi.
Seven ongoing affordable housing projects are set to produce 31,990 units in Nairobi.
The first project which was launched by President Ruto in October 2022 was Kibra's Soweto B.
According to Housing PS Charles Hinga, Soweto B would be the biggest social housing project undertaken in an informal settlement.
The project is part of the planned upgrade of the slum which has been divided into four zones and is being spearheaded by the Ministry of Housing.
In Mukuru kwa Reuben, Ruto launched the Sh15 billion project that will see the set up of 15,000 units.
On January 27, 2023, Ruto presided over the groundbreaking of the Shauri Moyo affordable housing project in Nairobi.
The project site comprises two parcels of land measuring approximately 16 acres, located along First Avenue Eastleigh Road, Nairobi.
The developer, Epco Builders Limited will construct 3,248 housing units at Sh10 billion.
In February, the Starehe project was launched which will provide over 6000 housing units.
Initially, about 300 houses occupied the 24 acres of land that had been occupied by tenants.
Pangani Housing Project which was being undertaken by the then Nairobi Metropolitan Service is still ongoing and is expected to deliver 1,562 housing units from the land previously occupied by 48 tenants
The government is on course to set up 5,280 units at Clay City, Nairobi, and Sh850 million housing project in Kasarani that will see 284 units constructed.
Construction is ongoing at the Jevanjee estates formally known as Bachelor quarters.
A total of 1,900 units will be developed from land that was previously occupied by 81 houses.