ELDORET, Kenya, Oct 19 – President William Ruto has handed over keys to 2,157 homeowners at the Pioneer Affordable Housing Project in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County, as the government intensifies efforts to expand access to decent housing and create jobs.
The handover ceremony, held on Sunday evening, marked the completion of the Sh5.3 billion development, which features residential units, commercial spaces, recreational facilities and social amenities.
The estate comprises 15 blocks and 104 shops, alongside a kindergarten, playgrounds, green open spaces, a clubhouse and a swimming pool. Plans also include a junior school, two basketball courts and a football pitch.
Speaking during the ceremony, Ruto said the project was designed to offer residents more than housing by providing an integrated community with facilities to support work, recreation and healthy living.
“We are selling a lifestyle. The estate comes with Wi-Fi to enable the occupants work from home. The swimming pool, gym, basketball courts and football pitch will help residents keep fit and healthy,” he said.
The President said the development demonstrated the government’s commitment to providing decent homes while creating opportunities for local industries, small businesses and construction workers.
The Pioneer Affordable Housing Project comprises three categories of homes targeting different income groups.
These include 552 social housing units for families requiring greater support, 1,065 affordable homes ranging from studio apartments to three-bedroom units, and 540 market-rate houses.
Among the beneficiaries are Abigail Chepkemoi and Albert Ipolo, students at Eldoret National Polytechnic who have secured homes through the programme.
At 21, Chepkemoi began her journey to homeownership by working at the construction site, saving part of her earnings and eventually making a deposit for a house.
She is now preparing to move from student accommodation into her own home.
Ruto said the programme was helping Kenyans who would otherwise struggle to acquire property gain access to decent housing.
“I see people who are now homeowners. They would otherwise have not had an opportunity to own a house today if it were not for the Affordable Housing Programme,” he said.
The President said the Pioneer project had prioritised locally manufactured construction materials, with 97 per cent of the materials used sourced from Kenya.
The development consumed more than 394,000 bags of cement and 4,500 tonnes of steel, alongside sand, ballast and fittings supplied by Kenyan industries.
More than 50 Jua Kali associations in Eldoret supplied 2,272 steel doors and 6,486 windows for the project.
Ruto said the government had deliberately reserved these opportunities for local artisans to strengthen domestic manufacturing and support small enterprises.
“We insisted that no door or window is going to be imported. We empowered Jua Kali to do it,” he said.
Lifts were the only major items imported for the project, accounting for approximately three per cent of the materials and equipment referenced by the President.
He announced that the government had secured seven manufacturers to produce lifts locally, signalling a shift towards domestic production for future affordable housing developments.
“From now, local manufacturers will make the lifts in Kenya,” he said.
Ruto said the affordable housing programme was creating opportunities beyond construction by supporting small businesses, artisans and other enterprises involved in the supply chain.
In Eldoret City, 84 Jua Kali associations have received opportunities worth KSh264 million through the programme.
Across the North Rift region, Jua Kali artisans have benefited from opportunities valued at KSh3.8 billion, while similar associations nationally have accessed opportunities worth KSh61 billion.
The President also highlighted the contribution of small businesses operating around construction sites.
Gladys Chemeli and Janet Jemutai, who have operated food outlets at the Pioneer site since construction began, were among those benefiting from the economic activity generated by the development.
At the height of construction this year, more than 1,000 people were working at the site.
Ruto said the government expected the Affordable Housing Programme to support more than two million jobs by the end of 2027.
He added that local artists, including painters, were being engaged to beautify housing developments, creating additional employment opportunities and supporting the creative economy.
The President said the Pioneer project was part of a wider housing programme being implemented across Uasin Gishu County.
Other developments include the Eldoret Railway City project, which is expected to deliver 2,231 homes; Kidiwa Phase Two, with 1,800 units; and the Lumumba Housing Project, a 2,000-unit development rising 24 storeys.
According to Ruto, a total of 12,429 affordable homes worth Sh29.9 billion are planned or under construction across the county.
When student hostels, modern markets and a primary school are included, the government’s total investment in Uasin Gishu stands at KSh41.8 billion.
He said similar housing projects had been delivered in Mukuru in Nairobi, Bomet, Kakamega and Homa Bay, while developments in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, and Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, were ready for handover.
“By December 2027, we will have completed 45,000 affordable housing units,” he said.
The President also pledged accountability in the management of the Affordable Housing Fund, assuring Kenyans that contributions would be used prudently to deliver housing and related infrastructure.
He said the government was using the fund to finance affordable homes, modern markets and student hostels as part of its wider development agenda.
“I give you my commitment that not a single shilling will be lost. I must be held to account and I will hold every official who works under me to account,” he said.
Ruto thanked employees and employers contributing to the fund through monthly deductions equivalent to 1.5 per cent of salaries, describing them as central to the government’s housing ambitions.
“You are true heroes of our society,” he said.
The President said the programme was intended to expand homeownership, stimulate local manufacturing, create employment and improve livelihoods through investments in housing and associated infrastructure.