Editor's Review

I want to tell the people who live in Kibra and other informal settlements, in the next 15 years, we will have gotten rid of all the slums in Kenya - Rut

President William Ruto now says that the government's plan is to do away with all slums in Kenya within the next 15 years.

Speaking during the President's Award ceremony on Thursday, October 17, the Head of State said the plan is in a bid to change the lives of slum dwellers.

"In Kibra today, we are in the process of completing the first 4,000 housing units. I want to tell the people who live in Kibra and other informal settlements, in the next 15 years, we will have gotten rid of all the slums in Kenya," Ruto said.

Ruto also noted that the government is in the process of building 15,000 housing units in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, which he says will change the slums.

"We are going to transform Mukuru Kwa Njenga from a slum to an estate and to give those people decent livelihoods the same way all of us have decent livelihoods," he added.

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File image of William Ruto during a previous visit to Kibera

This comes a year after Ruto announced his vision for Kibera, stating that in ten years, it will transform from a slum into a modern estate.  

This declaration was made during a church service on October 1, 2023, where he emphasized the government's Affordable Housing Project, aimed at providing decent homes and creating jobs for the youth.

"The housing project only has two aims, It's not just to build more houses but to create more employment opportunities.

“That is why we really pushed on the housing fund. People complained about it but they will later come to realize that it is a very good thing," he remarked.

At the time, Ruto stated that his plan included constructing 200,000 houses annually over the next five years, which he said was part of a broader initiative to eradicate slums across Kenya.

“It will help youths get jobs, Kenyans will get houses and live in respectable places where there is water, electricity and roads. As for now we have about 6 million Kenyans living in slums and we must be concerned about them," he said.

Despite acknowledging challenges related to funding and public perception, Ruto expressed confidence that as the government communicates its vision more effectively, support will grow.

Here is the video;