Ruto orders renaming of Shauri Moyo estate to Johana Ngéno Housing estate

President William Ruto has directed the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning to rename the Shauri Moyo affordable housing in honour of the late Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno.

Ruto said the project, which is one of the largest in Nairobi City, will be named Johana Ngeno Boma Yangu estate.

"I am directing the Ministry of Housing to rename Shauri Moyo housing estate to Johana Ngeno Boma Yangu estate in respect of the good work and efforts that he did as the chairman," he announced.

He noted the success of the affordable housing projects across the country, which had been the elusive dream for 30 years, was realised courtesy of Ngeno as the parliament housing committee chairman.

"I told the members of the housing committee that when I write my story, I will give them a chapter because of the work they have helped me do," he said.

"We have tried for 30 years, but we have not succeeded. Today, we have succeeded," he added.

The move to rename the project, he said, was through a request by the members of the committee who served with Ngeno as their chairman.

Ruto, who spoke in Dikir during the funeral service, explained that they planned the housing programme together with Ngeno.

When he visited Ngeno family in Nairobi recently to pay his tribute, Ruto said the lawmaker has earned a special recognition for his role in steering the committee to ensure the success of the project. He said the committee’s role in anchoring the ambitious project would be permanently recorded in his personal reflections on leadership.

“When finally I write my memoirs, the members of the housing committee in Parliament will have a chapter,” Ruto declared.

Ruto said Ngeno’s passion and firmness stood out from the very beginning.

“As I said, Hon Ngeno was very passionate about what he did, and he never did half measures,” he said.

“When we rolled out housing, and as the vice chair of the committee has said, housing was one of the most difficult assignments that I have undertaken as President. It has tested my resilience as a person.”

The President revealed that when constituting parliamentary committees, he deliberately settled on Ngeno to chair the Housing Committee because he knew his determination would see the programme through.