Ruto vows to prioritise Mukuru kwa Njenga residents in affordable housing project

President William Ruto presiding over the groundbreaking housing project at Mukuru kwa Njenga slums on Monday [PSCU]

President William Ruto says Mukuru kwa Njenga residents will be prioritised once the affordable housing project in the area is completed.

When completed, the project is set to offer relief to approximately 110,000 households living in the Mukuru kwa Njenga slum by providing decent shelters.

Speaking while presiding over the groundbreaking housing project on Monday, Ruto said the government was committed to ensuring Kenyans become homeowners through the mortgage plan.

"There is a story that needs to be written because Mukuru [kwa Njenga] is the only place you pay to go to the toilet. You pay 170 percent for water that others are paying in Karen and Lavington.

"You pay more for electricity than any other part of Nairobi, yet these are the people who are at the bottom of the pyramid. So, the first priority of this project will be to get the people living in Mukuru to come and live here" said the president.

In addition, the president promised that the rent Mukuru kwa Njenga residents pay would be used as mortgage in the housing project.

"The Sh 3000 they are paying rent as rent, they will come here and pay as mortgage. After 20 years, the houses will belong to them," said Ruto.

At the same time, Ruto has urged legislators to support the Housing Fund bill so that millions of families can own homes.

"I am confident that our parliament will work with us so that we can do the right thing and provide the financial infrastructure: from construction to mortgage to support those living in informal settlements," he said.

Ruto was accompanied by Cabinet Secretaries James Macharia (Transport), Simon Chelugui (Labour) Farida Karoney (Land), Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, Nairobi Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri, MPs Esther Passaris (Nairobi Woman Rep), Felix Odiwuor (Langata), James Gakuya (Embakasi North) and Benjamin Gathiru (Embakasi Central), Mwafrika Augustine (Roysambu) among others.