More than 1,000 residents of Mukuru Kwa Njenga have officially transitioned into newly completed affordable housing units under the government’s rent-to-own program.According to Housing, Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, each beneficiary will pay a total of Ksh.3,000 monthly an amount designed to reflect the rent rates they previously paid in informal settlements, but now with the added benefit of future ownership.
Mukuru Affordable Housing Project, commissioned by President William Ruto, saw the first batch of 1,080 units mostly bedsitters handed over to residents last week.
In a gesture aimed at enhancing comfort and livability, the government has also provided each unit with furniture worth Ksh.50,000.
Tenants will repay this furniture package through modest monthly installments of Ksh.200 to Ksh.300.
PS Hinga clarified that the monthly rent includes a Ksh.1,000 service charge already subsidized and an additional Ksh.200 for insurance coverage.
The government envisions constructing over 13,000 housing units in Mukuru as part of a broader urban renewal strategy.President Ruto described the event as one of the most defining moments of his political life.
He stressed that beyond the physical structures, the initiative is expected to generate widespread economic benefits for the region.
Ruto also unveiled plans to rehabilitate 201 existing markets and build 26 new ones, further boosting urban infrastructure.
The Mukuru Phase I project is just one of 200 similar initiatives underway across the country, expected to provide jobs for over 200,000 young people.
Defending his administration’s focus on affordable housing, President Ruto said the initiative tackles long-standing urban challenges that had been neglected by previous regimes.
By Kenyans