Kenya lauded for transformative housing plan, Nairobi Rivers clean-up

Kenya has earned international recognition for its ambitious social housing projects and the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme — two landmark initiatives hailed as among the most transformative efforts in the Global South to build climate resilience in urban areas.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said the programmes represent the heart of the government’s development agenda, aimed at improving the lives of urban poor communities while advancing environmental sustainability.

Speaking on Saturday at the sidelines of the COP30 Conference in Belém, Brazil, Kindiki revealed that United Nations agencies had commended Kenya for implementing locally driven solutions to urban climate challenges.

“The UN agencies have lauded Kenya’s social housing programme for the urban poor in Nairobi and the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme as the two most consequential measures ever taken in the Global South to create climate resilience for the urban poor using domestically generated resources,” he said.

The Deputy President met representatives from several UN bodies, including the UN Climate Action Team, UN-Habitat, and the secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), where discussions centred on strengthening partnerships to scale up Kenya’s climate adaptation measures.

Kindiki also welcomed the Building Climate Resilience with the Urban Poor (BCRUP) Programme — a joint initiative between Kenya and Brazil — noting that it provides a vital framework to protect vulnerable city populations from the growing impacts of climate change.

“The initiative seeks to cushion the urban poor against climate shocks, including floods, drought, heatwaves, violent winds, and landslides, while tackling underlying vulnerabilities such as poverty, limited infrastructure, and weak governance frameworks,” he said.

The Deputy President called for a stronger, more coordinated role for UN agencies in supporting climate adaptation among low-income urban communities.

He emphasised the need for increased financing, technology transfer, and capacity building to enhance resilience and promote sustainable urban growth.

Kindiki further proposed that the United Nations General Assembly adopt a resolution on climate resilience for the urban poor, integrating the principles of the BCRUP initiative into the outcomes of the COP30 deliberations.

Representing Kenya at the global climate summit, the Deputy President urged that Kenya be granted an opportunity to report periodically to the UN General Assembly on the progress of the joint programme.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to advancing climate action that not only safeguards the environment but also delivers tangible social and economic benefits to its most vulnerable citizens.