Ruto champions housing as engine of economic empowerment at UN summit

President William Ruto when he arrived at the Qatar National Convention Center for the Second World Summit for Social Development on November 4, 2025/PCS

President William Ruto has urged world leaders to embrace affordable housing as a core pillar of social justice.

Making a case for the ongoing housing programme Tuesday at the UN Social Development Summit in Doha, Ruto said the model is proving that decent shelter can simultaneously create jobs, reduce inequality and uplift the poor.

He said more than 230,000 housing units are currently under construction across the country, creating over 320,000 jobs and opening opportunities for artisans and small businesses.

“Our Affordable Housing Programme is delivering much-needed shelter while at the same time creating jobs and fostering inclusion,” he said.

According to Ruto, inclusive housing is not just an infrastructure initiative but a social justice imperative.

The Head of State argued that such people-centred investments are essential for countries seeking to lift citizens out of poverty, reduce inequality and expand economic opportunity, core commitments of the landmark 1995 Copenhagen Declaration.

Ruto also told the delegates that Kenya’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) had begun to yield results across critical sectors, including education, digital work, health and social protection.

He highlighted the mass teacher recruitment programme, with 76,000 new teachers hired in three years and a target of 100,000 by January 2026, as well as the rapid expansion of technical and vocational training institutions.

On healthcare, he reported that medical insurance coverage has grown from eight million Kenyans in 2023 to over 27 million today.

The President also pointed to the Hustler Fund, saying it has disbursed Sh80 billion to 26.7 million people, with more than nine million becoming repeat borrowers and five million regaining formal creditworthiness.

He further noted that more than 400,000 Kenyans have secured jobs abroad in the last three years, including at least 70,000 in Qatar, and said nearly two million youth have received digital skills training, with 300,000 accessing online jobs.

While celebrating these gains, Ruto warned that global solidarity on social development has weakened and urged world leaders to renew cooperation to address rising inequality, debt distress and global crises such as climate shocks.

“We must resist the temptation to retreat inward,” he said.

“The United Nations must remain the foremost guardian of peace, but also a catalyst for prosperity and a champion of human dignity.”

Ruto called on nations to recommit to eradicating poverty, creating decent jobs and strengthening social inclusion, saying the Doha summit should send a clear message that the world remains united in building inclusive and equitable societies.

The two-day summit brings together heads of state and government, global agencies, development partners and civil society groups.

The participants are meeting to assess progress since the first Social Development Summit in 1995 and chart a renewed path to ensure no one is left behind in the pursuit of prosperity.

The 1995 summit was held in Copenhagen 30.