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Ruto announces Sh10,000 monthly stipend, affordable housing for flood victims

President William Ruto during a tour of the Kiamaiko area in Mathare sub-county, Nairobi, on May 6, 2024.

By Mary Wambui | 06 May 2024

Ruto also announced those affected by the floods in the Kiamaiko area will be given priority for the 5,000 affordable housing units that will be put up in Mathare in a bid to have them settled permanently.

President William Ruto has announced a Sh10,000 monthly stipend for 40,000 households displaced by the ongoing floods in the country, as a mitigation measure as the government plans on their settlement.

The President spoke on Monday during a tour of the Kiamaiko area in Mathare sub-county, Nairobi which has borne the brunt of the heavy floods that have pounded the country leading to the loss of 228 lives and left thousands more displaced.

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Ruto also announced those affected by the floods in the Kiamaiko area will be given priority for the 5,000 affordable housing units that will be put up in Mathare in a bid to have them settled permanently.

The stipend that will be distributed for the next three months comes as a surprise to residents who have been camping in churches, schools and community halls following heavy flooding and to avert possible deaths for those living in riparian land.

"We have 40,000 households who were evacuated because of their safety, every household will receive Sh10,000 to look for alternative housing waiting for government intervention. We have a list of those who were evacuated, we will give them money for 3 months' rent as the government looks for another alternative as we plan for their future as a government so that every Kenyan has a place to call home," Ruto said.

"The main cause of the ongoing floods across the country and the world is because of climate change." - President William Ruto pic.twitter.com/SQ98qAWVfp
— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 6, 2024

"This week, we shall advertise a tender to build 5,000 affordable housing units for them that vacated this place for them to live in. In Kibera, we shall put up another 5,000 units and another 10,000 in Kasarani-Mwiki," the President said.

He said the occupants will only be required to part with Sh3,000 as monthly rent.

The activities shall be coordinated by National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), National Youth Services (NYS), National Police Service (NPS) and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officials.

"I am here to announce to you that lost property that the government you elected will support you. No child or citizen will sleep hungry, we shall provide adequate meals until normalcy resumes for all affected across the country," said the President.

The president noted that the timely move by residents of various risky locations in Nairobi helped avert the loss of lives due to the ongoing floods, which he attributed to climate change.

"Already the government has set aside Sh1 billion to make sure that all schools are reconstructed so that when schools reopen, all our children are able to go to class," he added.

The president at the same time said property developers in Eastleigh are at liberty to set up high-rise apartments to cater to the growing demand for housing in Nairobi.

"There was a time when building an apartment of more than 12 storeys was a problem, as the Commander-in-Chief, I declare that we can now build up to 25 or 30 floors so that many citizens can get accommodation," he said.