affordable housing Stories

Two Kwale County officials summoned for disobeying court order on affordable housing projects
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Jul 16, 2025

The judge warned that should they fail to comply with the summons, an arrest warrant would be issued against them.

Ruto defends economic reforms, vows to push ahead with affordable housing, cost of living agenda
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 15, 2025

A tough-talking Ruto insisted that Kenya has achieved significant progress compared to many nations and dismissed claims that the country is headed in...

Omtatah files petition to halt Southlands housing project in Lang'ata over alleged illegalities
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Jul 09, 2025

Omtatah claims the government is building 17-storey residential blocks on land designated as a road and rail buffer zone, without conducting public pa...

Gachagua unveils 8-point plan to end protests, slams Ruto over housing levy, police brutality
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jul 09, 2025

Speaking just hours after Ruto voiced frustration over growing public and political hostility, Gachagua responded by saying that real solutions lie in...

Court halts ouster of Nairobi housing chief Lydia Mathia amid eviction row
Carolyne Kubwa  |  Jun 27, 2025

Justice Bahati Mwamuye, while delivering the ruling, said the resolution of the motion against Mathia should be set aside pending the hearing and dete...

Government invests Sh90 billion in affordable housing projects backed by Sh120 billion levy collection
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 23, 2025

The funding boost follows a March warning from a parliamentary committee that the programme faced a Sh16.9 billion shortfall, putting stipend payments...

State stops market projects funded by housing levy, agrees to refund money after COTU talks
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 18, 2025

COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli had raised concerns over the misapplication of the funds meant for workers’ housing.

Government triples police and prisons housing budget to Sh3.5 billion
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Jun 13, 2025

Speaking in Parliament, CS Mbadi reaffirmed the government’s commitment to expanding access to safe, decent, and affordable homes while driving job cr...

Affordable housing drive boosted as housing receives Sh128.3 billion in 2025/26 budget
Rachael Mutabasi  |  Jun 12, 2025

Mbadi underscored the government’s unwavering commitment to addressing the country’s housing deficit and improving urban infrastructure.

Governors back Ruto’s plan to use housing levy for building markets, social infrastructure
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 10, 2025

Governor Ahmed revealed that the council held a detailed meeting with the president last week, where they agreed on the importance of aligning housing...

COTU denies role in drafting affordable housing regulations, demands proof from PS Hinga
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 07, 2025

On Friday, Hinga accused COTU of misleading the public, pointing out that the union was directly involved in the drafting of the law and its accompany...

Government defends housing levy for markets amidst COTU misuse claims
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 07, 2025

COTU had warned that the Affordable Housing Regulations introduce loopholes that could allow MPs to redirect the housing levy to initiatives unrelated...

MPs raise alarm over missing Sh4.2 billion earned from housing levy investments
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  Jun 06, 2025

The revelation has sparked concern over the transparency and use of funds collected through the controversial housing levy.

Salaried workers to bear high PAYE burden as Treasury shelves tax relief plan
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 04, 2025

Mbadi said the Treasury was also considering a reduction in corporate tax rates from 30 per cent to 28 per cent, but this too was shelved due to simil...

Ruto: 20% of affordable housing units reserved for KDF, police, NYS officers
Lucy Mumbi  |  Jun 03, 2025

Ruto noted that the move is aimed at enhancing dignity, improving welfare, and boosting home ownership among members of Kenya’s disciplined services.

Ruto proposes law to allow housing levy contributors access Sh5 million loans
Bashir Mbuthia  |  Jun 01, 2025

Since taking office in September 2022, President Ruto has been a staunch advocate for the Affordable Housing Programme, a cornerstone of the Kenya Kwa...

Kenyans warned of rent hikes, stalled housing if Finance Bill 2025 taxes pass unchanged
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 28, 2025

RESA called on Parliament to urgently amend or suspend these measures, warning that their combined effect represents a policy shock to the property ma...

Kangemi residents move to court to stop eviction for affordable housing project
Carolyne Kubwa  |  May 26, 2025

George Mbugua, speaking on behalf of the affected parties, claims that they are the beneficial owners of land within the Nairobi River Corridor and ha...

Mombasa leaders demand Buxton Phase 2 inclusion in housing scheme, accuse state of bias
Farhiya Hussein  |  May 25, 2025

Governor Abdulswamad called for a Senate probe into Mombasa’s exclusion from national housing plans and criticised housing officials for skipping the...

Ruto extends Kibera affordable housing registration by two days
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 23, 2025

The exercise, which was initially set to end on Saturday, has already seen over 11,000 people enlisted.

Mukuru Community Justice Centre condemns alleged forced evictions over affordable housing project
Rachael Mutabasi  |  May 20, 2025

The organisation asserted that the actual residents of the area are not among the selected beneficiaries of these housing allocations and alleged that...

Inside the 13,248-unit Mukuru kwa Njenga affordable housing project
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 20, 2025

President William Ruto on Tuesday officiated the handover of 1,080 units, describing the project as a turning point in Kenya’s housing sector.

IGAD raises alarm over rising migration and urban strain in the Horn of Africa
Mary Wambui  |  May 17, 2025

The organisation further noted that policy responses by governments, humanitarian, and development actors are often framed through a rural lens, and t...

Sakaja names committee to drive Nairobi’s affordable housing plan
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 17, 2025

These appointments are in line with Section 34 of the Affordable Housing Act, 2024, which requires county governments to form housing committees to he...

Housing, Public Works departments request Sh6.8 billion in additional funding
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 16, 2025

PSHinga told the committee that after paying for fixed obligations such as rent, utilities, security, cleaning services, and support to the Nairobi Ri...

Environment tribunal stops Ruto housing project in Lang’ata over flawed environmental assessment
Carolyne Kubwa  |  May 14, 2025

In Omtatah’s petition, the housing development involves the construction of 17-storey apartment blocks comprising 15,950 housing units.

Govt raises affordable housing research budget to Sh2.8bn amid credibility concerns
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 09, 2025

The latest budget allocation, part of a larger Sh119.6 billion for the housing department, includes both recurrent and development costs.

Confusion over President Ruto’s 250,000 housing jobs as sector shrinks
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 07, 2025

According to the 2025 Economic Survey, private construction firms shed 2,900 jobs, reducing the number of people they employ from 226,300 in 2023 to 2...

Housing levy collections set to jump by 46% as govt eyes Sh95.8 billion
Lucy Mumbi  |  May 06, 2025

The budget documents tabled in Parliament by Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi show that statutory deductions from employee pay slips will increas...

Ruto’s housing plan hit as Treasury moves to end tax exemptions on building materials
Maureen Kinyanjui  |  May 02, 2025

The proposed tax changes, if approved, could raise the cost of building affordable homes and slow down the delivery of housing units.

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