President William Ruto on Monday helped families move into their new affordable homes in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county, using a wheelbarrow as he handed over keys to 2,157 homeowners at the Pioneer Affordable Housing Project.
The President was accompanied by Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, who also joined residents in moving their belongings into the houses.
The handover marks a major milestone in the government’s affordable housing programme, which seeks to expand access to decent homes while creating jobs and business opportunities across the country.
Ruto said the Pioneer project was part of a wider housing development plan for Eldoret, with thousands of additional units expected to be constructed in different parts of the city.
“And Pioneer is only the beginning. Eldoret Railway City will deliver 2,231 homes. Kidiwa Phase 2 will add 1,800. At Lumumba, rising 24 floors, 2,000 homes will change the skyline of this city,” Ruto said.
The Sh5.3 billion Pioneer estate features 104 shops, a kindergarten, playgrounds, green open spaces, a clubhouse and a swimming pool.
The development will also include a junior school, two basketball courts and a football pitch, alongside integrated waste management systems and cabro-paved roads and walkways.
The facilities are intended to create a residential community where families can access housing, recreation and other essential services within the estate.
Beyond providing homes, Ruto said the project had opened up business opportunities for local artisans, with Sh264 million channelled to 84 Jua Kali associations in Eldoret.
Across the North Rift region, Jua Kali artisans have benefited from opportunities worth Sh3.8 billion, while similar associations across the country have received opportunities valued at Sh61 billion.
The President said Uasin Gishu County had 12,429 affordable housing units worth Sh29.9 billion planned or under construction.
He added that investments in student hostels and modern markets had pushed the government’s total planned and ongoing investments in the county to Sh41.8 billion.
Nationally, Ruto said approximately 300,000 housing units were under construction as the government pursued its goal of making decent homes more accessible to Kenyans.
The affordable housing programme is a key pillar of the administration’s development agenda, with the government positioning it as a means of addressing the housing deficit while stimulating construction, employment and local enterprise.
