Expand access to decent housing, African governments urged

New Mukuru Affordable Housing buildings on November 27, 2025 /DOUGLAS OKIDDY 

Experts have renewed calls for African governments to urgently expand access to safe, affordable and decent housing.

They say it is not only a basic human need but also a matter of dignity, rights and economic progress.

The appeal was made on Thursday at the Kenya International Convention Centre during the opening of the Africa Urban Forum.

Leaders and urban planners stressed the need to rethink how cities are built and who they serve.

Speakers said housing must be treated as essential infrastructure, especially as informal settlements continue to expand across rapidly growing cities in Africa.

President William Ruto said Kenya’s affordable housing programme is already changing lives by restoring dignity to families who previously lacked even the most basic services.

He gave the example of residents in informal settlements such as Mukuru in Nairobi, where people often pay to access toilets and basic sanitation.

He said the government’s intervention is aimed at ending such conditions.

The President said beneficiaries are now moving into homes with water, electricity, lifts, playgrounds and improved services, calling it a major social shift.

Ruto said the project, which has signed about $4 billion in housing contracts, was made possible through long-term planning and difficult political decisions, including the controversial housing levy.

He added that housing must be viewed as a long-term national investment, not an election cycle promise.

Ruto also noted that Kenya has about seven million people living in informal settlements, underscoring the scale of the challenge.

UN-Habitat and Shelter Afrique officials echoed the call for structured urban planning, warning that rapid urbanisation must be matched with proper housing systems.

The forum emphasised that housing is central to Africa’s urban future, with a shared commitment to more inclusive and sustainable cities.