NAIROBI —In the crowded heart of Mukuru Kwa Njenga, a new chapter is unfolding one that promises dignity, security, and a path to ownership for some of Nairobi’s poorest residents.
Over 1,000 families have now moved into the first batch of homes built under the government’s affordable housing programme. The price? Just Ksh.3,000 a month roughly what they were already paying in the city’s informal settlements. But this time, it’s not rent. It’s a step towards ownership.
“They will pay Ksh.2,800 per month, but it is not rent… it is rent-to-own,” said Charles Hinga, the Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, during a televised interview on Wednesday.
The payment covers more than just a roof over one’s head. It includes a Ksh.1,000 service charge subsidized heavily by the government and an additional Ksh.200 for insurance.
“Normally, the service charge for these facilities should be about Ksh.3,000. But because we are dealing with the most vulnerable in our society, government steps in and provides a Ksh.2,000 subsidy,” Hinga explained.
He added: “The Ksh.200 covers life insurance. Should anything happen, your family keeps the house. It’s about security and dignity.”
The Mukuru project, launched by President William Ruto on Tuesday, marks a cornerstone in the government’s plan to deliver affordable housing to millions. Of the 1,080 units unveiled, most are single-room bedsitters—simple, but a significant upgrade from the makeshift tin shacks many residents previously called home.
But questions remain about the long-term impact of such housing schemes.
Critics have previously warned that affordability must go beyond initial payments. The true test, they argue, will be whether residents can maintain the costs associated with upkeep, utilities, and community services.
Still, for now, there is cautious optimism in the narrow streets of Mukuru.
PS Hinga pushed back against scepticism by highlighting the hidden costs of slum life. “In Mukuru, residents pay 172% more for water than the average Nairobian,” he said. “They pay 140% more for electricity—most of it through unsafe, illegal connections. And they even pay to use toilets.”
“This isn’t just about housing. It’s about ending what I call the ‘penalty of poverty’.”
He pointed to basic infrastructure like water, sewage systems, and street lighting amenities sorely lacking in informal areas as core to the project’s vision.
Urban experts and civil society organisations have welcomed the government’s shift toward rent-to-own models, saying they offer a more sustainable alternative to donor-driven aid or private developer deals that often price out the poor.
However, some urge caution.
“The key is transparency,” said Jane Mwangi, an urban planner based in Nairobi. “We need clear records, fair allocation, and real support systems in place. Otherwise, these homes risk becoming just another political promise.”
For residents like Mary Atieno, who recently moved into one of the new units with her three children, the difference is already life-changing.
“I have a key to my own door now,” she said, standing on the small balcony of her unit. “No more sharing toilets, no more fires in the night. This is home.”
Whether the model can be replicated across the country and whether the government can keep its promises as demand surges remains to be seen.
But in Mukuru, for the first time in a long time, hope doesn’t feel so far off.
