Women and Youth Driving Kenya’s Housing Agenda
Women and youths are now requesting faster coverage of the housing projects to create more opportunities and ensure a sustainable impact.
At the Lumumba Affordable Housing project in Kisumu County, the action is fast. Construction workers are working round the clock to stack up the blocks that will soon deliver 2,348 new homes. Photo/Courtesy
By Juliet Jerotich
They are at the forefront of the Affordable Housing Programme in Kenya. They account for almost 75 percent of the workforce on construction sites across the country.
From lugging bricks to managing materials, these two categories are constructing one of the biggest projects under Kenya Kwanza‘s rule.
At the Lumumba Affordable Housing project in Kisumu County, the action is fast. Construction workers are working round the clock to stack up the blocks that will soon deliver 2,348 new homes. The project kicked off in May last year by President William Ruto when he visited Nyanza as part of his campaign trail. Construction is likely to be completed by January 2026.
Behind the scaffolding and machinery are stories of change. Dozens of women and young people, who before were wallowing in unemployment, now have regular employment. To them, the housing project is not merely walls and roofs—it is about hope restored.
Jobs range from plumbing to welding, metalwork, and supervision on site. Some even go out with project managers, learning skills they never would have gotten otherwise.
The effect is felt outside the building sites. More than 1,500 workers per day come in to work, and local vendors have established food stalls to serve them. For the vendors, business is boom time. The scheme for housing has proven to be an unplanned economic growth engine for small businesses.
The same narrative is witnessed at the Pioneer Housing construction site in Eldoret at Kidiwa. It is here that we meet Ochieng’ Lwanda, who is a student at Moi University studying Geography. He has ventured into welding and fabrication at the site as a means of staying afloat. The work gives him practical experience and a monthly pay.
His tale is a copycat of others. Women and youths are now requesting faster coverage of the housing projects to create more opportunities and ensure a sustainable impact.
We also saw finished homes in Soy, Emgwen, and Vihiga during our tour. Each of the areas has 220 units, offering studio to two-bedroom houses. The finished buildings reflect progress and the promise of affordable housing for most Kenyans.
Kenya’s Affordable Housing Program is not only about constructing houses. It’s about empowerment. Women and the youth are redefining their futures, brick by brick.
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