President William Ruto has handed over the keys to 220 new homes in Chepalungu, Bomet County, as the Government pushes its affordable housing programme beyond Kenya’s major cities.
The Chepalungu Affordable Housing Estate is almost entirely sold out. Government officials said about 99 per cent of the units have already been purchased.
The project consists of nine residential blocks, with homes ranging from studios to three-bedroom apartments.
A push to protect farmland
Speaking during the handover, President Ruto said affordable housing could help families living and working in towns avoid selling or subdividing agricultural land to build homes.
“We want our people to have decent homes in our towns while protecting agricultural land for farming,” President Ruto said.
He said families should be able to find affordable homes close to their workplaces and businesses.
“There is no need to continue subdividing productive land when families working and doing business in our towns have access to affordable housing,” he added.
The argument reflects one of the Government’s wider goals for its housing programme: expanding home ownership while supporting planned urban growth.
220 homes across nine blocks
The Chepalungu development includes 60 studio apartments, 20 one-bedroom units, 120 two-bedroom homes and 20 three-bedroom units.
The homes are being offered under three categories: social housing, affordable housing and affordable middle-class housing.
The project began in May 2023 and is now substantially complete. Essential services and infrastructure have been installed, allowing residents to move in.
The development was implemented by the State Department for Housing and Urban Development at a contract cost of about KSh546.8 million.
The high rate of sales comes as the Government seeks to expand its affordable housing programme across the country.
Phase Two planned for Bomet
President Ruto said the Government plans to begin a second phase of the project in Bomet in the coming months.
“We shall construct Phase Two of the housing project in the next few months,” he said.
The President said the expansion would give more residents in the region access to homes while improving living conditions.
The Government has presented affordable housing as part of its response to Kenya’s housing shortage and the rapid growth of urban centres.
For Chepalungu, the next test will be whether the second phase can match the demand that has seen almost all of the first 220 homes sold.
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