“Ruto Sells Kenya’s Housing Levy Model to the World as Africa’s Urban Crisis Deepens”
By Jeff Kizzilah Digital Editor
President William Ruto has defended Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme on the global stage, declaring it one of Africa’s leading models for sustainable urban development, inclusive economic growth, and social transformation.
Speaking during the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum at the Baku Convention Center in Baku, President Ruto said Kenya is positioning itself as a continental leader in addressing the growing urban housing crisis through locally mobilised resources and ambitious urban renewal projects.
The Head of State noted that by the year 2050, the majority of global urban growth will be concentrated in Africa and Asia, making affordable housing one of the most urgent development priorities of this generation.
President Ruto emphasized that developing nations, particularly in Africa and the Global South, continue to face financing inequalities that hinder large-scale urban development and infrastructure expansion. He called for urgent reforms to the international financial architecture to allow African nations fair access to development financing.
At the same time, the President maintained that African countries must increasingly take responsibility for financing their own development through stronger African multilateral institutions and enhanced domestic resource mobilisation mechanisms.
He pointed to Kenya’s Housing Levy as a practical example of how locally mobilised resources can support transformative national projects aimed at tackling rapid urbanisation, reducing housing deficits, and improving living standards.
“We commend the people of Kenya for demonstrating how locally mobilised resources through the Housing Levy can help address the challenges of rapid urbanisation,” President Ruto stated.
The President further highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to build climate-resilient communities through affordable housing projects while transforming informal settlements, creating employment opportunities, and supporting small businesses across the country.
Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme remains one of the flagship projects under the Kenya Kwanza administration, with the government targeting the construction of hundreds of thousands of housing units nationwide amid both praise and criticism over the mandatory Housing Levy deductions.
