Mukuru Affordable Housing units. /MINAThe government has outlined the process through which affordable housing units in Mukuru were allocated to residents, marking a significant milestone in transforming lives within the sprawling informal settlement.
Interior PS Raymond Omollo revealed that the allocation process for the new units was not only transparent but also targeted, ensuring that families living in the Mukuru slums were the primary beneficiaries of the modern residential blocks.
“When the Buruklyn Boyz sang, ‘Dream ya kutoka kwa block,’ the government heard, and acted,” Omollo said, invoking the popular Kenyan drill anthem to illustrate how aspirations of slum dwellers are now being realised.
“Through the Affordable Housing Programme, that dream is becoming a reality for hundreds of families who once lived in informal settlements.”
The Mukuru housing units, officially handed over by President William Ruto in May, are now home to hundreds of families.
The newly completed phase comprises five blocks (A, AB, AC, AD and AE) with a total of 621 households already moved in.
Omollo emphasised that the process of identifying beneficiaries began with a rigorous door-to-door enumeration across the Mukuru slums.
“Each household was identified, verified, and issued with a unique number,” he said.
“This formed the basis for shortlisting and allocating homes in the first phase.”
According to the Interior PS, the phased occupancy resulted in 181 households being moved into Block A, 202 in Block AB, 72 in Block AC, 93 in Block AD, and 73 in Block AE.
Alongside residential units, the development includes 50 newly constructed shops meant to support local entrepreneurship within the estate.
“Registered applicants who expressed interest in doing business within the estate will undergo a draw to ensure fair allocation,” Omollo said, highlighting efforts to integrate livelihoods within the new community.
“This is just the beginning,” Omollo stated.
“The next phase, comprising 1,296 units, is already underway. Enumeration is ongoing across all Mukuru slums.”
Once complete, the Mukuru project is expected to deliver 5,616 bedsitters, along with one- and two-bedroom units, aimed at replacing all informal settlements in the area.
Omollo said with an estimated 6,000 people currently living in the slums, the project signals a broader effort to offer every Mukuru resident a dignified, permanent home.
“The ‘dream ya kutoka kwa block’ is no longer just a verse. It is a lived reality. An anthem in many households in Mukuru,” Omollo remarked.
