MWE Correspondent
Kenyan President William Ruto has strongly defended his government’s ambitious affordable housing programme, insisting that Kenya has not borrowed “a single shilling” from the World Bank to finance the multi-billion-dollar initiative.
Speaking during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum 13, Ruto said the Kenyan government had instead mobilised nearly $5 billion domestically to support what he described as the largest housing programme currently underway in Africa.
The president presented the project as a transformative economic and social intervention designed not only to address Kenya’s housing shortage but also to stimulate employment, urban renewal, and long-term economic growth.
“We have not taken a single shilling from the World Bank for this programme,” Ruto said, pushing back against criticism surrounding the financing and sustainability of the initiative.
According to the president, approximately 273,000 housing units are already under construction across the country, while an additional 700,000 units are in various stages of planning and development.
He added that the programme has already created more than 640,000 jobs, making it one of the largest employment-generating infrastructure projects in Kenya’s recent history.
The affordable housing initiative remains one of Ruto’s flagship political and economic projects, forming a central pillar of his administration’s broader agenda to improve living standards and expand opportunities for low- and middle-income citizens.
Ruto also argued that the programme is helping reverse the rapid expansion of informal settlements in major urban areas by replacing overcrowded slums with planned residential developments equipped with modern infrastructure and services.
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In a key part of his remarks, the Kenyan leader said the government is designing affordable high-rise apartments in a way that ensures monthly payments remain close to what many urban residents already spend living in informal settlements.
“We are deliberately structuring these units so that citizens can transition from slum housing into dignified living conditions without facing unbearable costs,” he said.
The programme has, however, generated intense debate within Kenya. Supporters describe it as a bold attempt to tackle a long-standing housing crisis and modernise urban living, while critics have questioned financing mechanisms, taxation linked to the initiative, and whether the homes will truly remain affordable for ordinary Kenyans.
Urban experts note that Kenya, like many rapidly growing African economies, faces mounting pressure from urbanisation, population growth, and housing shortages that have fuelled the expansion of informal settlements around major cities such as Nairobi.
The remarks at the World Urban Forum also place Kenya at the centre of broader global discussions on sustainable urbanisation, infrastructure financing, and inclusive housing policies in developing economies.
