Ruto to hand over keys to 4,500 new homeowners in Mukuru's phase two project

President William Ruto will today preside over the handover of keys to more than 4,500 new homeowners at the Mukuru estate, marking a major milestone in the government’s Affordable Housing Programme and a turning point for thousands of families previously living in informal settlements.

The handover covers phase two of the Mukuru Affordable Housing Project, enabling beneficiaries to move from iron-sheet shacks into modern high-rise apartments equipped with basic services and social amenities.

Ruto is also expected to commission a police station, a fire station, and a public hospital within the estate.

“This is about restoring dignity,” Ruto said.

He noted that the project reflects the government’s commitment to providing decent and affordable housing for low- and middle-income Kenyans.

“For decades, families lived in informal settlements without security of tenure, proper sanitation, or reliable services. Today, that story is changing,” he said.

The Mukuru project is one of the flagship developments under the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), targeting urban informal settlements long associated with inequality, overcrowding, and neglect.

Once complete, the broader Mukuru regeneration plan is expected to deliver tens of thousands of housing units, alongside schools, health facilities, green spaces, and improved road networks.

Phase One of the Mukuru housing project was completed in May, when the President handed over keys to 1,080 homeowners on May 20, 2025.

Beneficiaries were selected through a government-led verification process.

Phase Two significantly expands the project, bringing the total number of completed units into the thousands and easing pressure on one of Nairobi’s most densely populated informal settlements.

Many of the new homeowners, some of whom have lived in Mukuru for decades, described the handover as life-changing.

“I never imagined I would own a home like this. Now my children will grow up in a safe and clean environment,” said one beneficiary, a casual worker who previously lived in a one-room shack prone to flooding and fire outbreaks.

Beyond housing, the inclusion of a police station and fire station is expected to enhance security and emergency response, while the hospital will provide much-needed healthcare services to residents and neighbouring communities.

These facilities are part of the government’s wider urban renewal approach, which seeks to combine housing with essential public services.

Before the Mukuru event, Ruto is scheduled to tour sections of the Nairobi River as part of ongoing efforts to rehabilitate the polluted waterway.

The river restoration programme focuses on cleaning polluted waterways, reclaiming riparian land, improving solid waste and sewerage management, and reducing recurrent flooding along river corridors such as Mukuru, Mathare, and Korogocho.

It is also linked to broader urban renewal initiatives, including affordable housing, road upgrades, green spaces, and pedestrian walkways.