“Nyong’o Raises Alarm: ‘Affordable Housing Being Taken by Middle Class, Not Intended Beneficiaries’”
By Jeff Kizzilah/Digital Editor
Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o has called for urgent reforms in Kenya’s affordable housing programme, warning that the initiative is increasingly benefiting middle-class citizens instead of the low-income groups it was designed for.
Speaking during the Africa Urban Forum Conference on housing in Nairobi, Governor Nyong’o noted that rapid urbanization has led to overcrowding in major cities, making affordable housing a critical national priority.
However, he expressed concern that access to the units is being dominated by middle-income earners, leaving out vulnerable slum dwellers who are in greater need of decent and affordable shelter.
“We have to accept that our cities are overcrowded. The National Government has initiated an affordable housing programme, but the people occupying these houses are largely middle class and not slum dwellers. This is something we must rethink,” he said.
The Governor urged policymakers to reassess allocation mechanisms to ensure fairness, equity, and proper targeting of beneficiaries, emphasizing that the original vision of the programme risks being undermined if corrective measures are not taken.
He called for stronger safeguards to ensure that affordable housing truly serves low-income residents and contributes to solving urban inequality in Kenya.
