President William Ruto’s flagship initiative, the Affordable Housing Programme, has earned international recognition at the World Broadband Association (WBBA) held in Cape Town, South Africa. The program received the Certified Bronze Gigacity Award for promoting urbanisation and decent housing for Kenyans through the Affordable Housing Program (AHP).
Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Charles Hinga, was also honored for his leadership in promoting smart and sustainable cities. This was after the program successfully met the criteria established by Gigacity, as set by the World Broadband Association (WBBA).
Speaking during the ceremony, WBBA Director-General Martin Creaner praised Kenya’s revised Building Code for enabling high-speed gigabit connectivity, which will enhance the quality of life and promote smart-city services.
“Gigacities will promote productivity of the local businesses through Fibre broadband, easing access to services such as administration and promoting smart technologies,” Creaner said.
Gigacities and Smart Cities refer to cities that offer universal gigabit access speeds to a significant portion of the population, as well as to industrial zones. Gigacities are drivers and enablers of smart city initiatives.
They bring significant socioeconomic benefits, including economic diversification and the growth of new ecosystems such as advanced manufacturing, technology, and renewable energy.
The Affordable Housing program was launched in September 2022, when President Willian Ruto took office, with the aim of bridging the annual housing gap and easing the burden on low-income earners.
It targets over 6.5 million Kenyans living in slums and informal settlements.
Speaking in Cape Town, Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development Charles Hinga stated that the housing program aims not only to develop affordable houses but also to create job opportunities for the youth, women, and the jua kali sector.
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The program, the PS noted, has created over 300,000 direct and indirect jobs in the country. PS Hinga also noted that billions of shillings have been allocated for the Jua Kali program, for the supply of doors and windows.
Additionally, the program has created a consumptive demand for the manufacturing sector through high demand for materials such as cement and steel, among others.
“At the moment, over 214,057 housing units are undergoing construction in all 47 Counties under the Affordable Housing Program” Hinga said. “Kenya has set the benchmark for Africa in integrating smart urban transformation. Projects such as the Boma Yangu Mukuru Housing Estate and Konza Technopolis, where we are developing over 2,000 housing units, are now being showcased by UN-Habitat and other partners as models of sustainable city-building,” he said.
A photo of workers at the affordable housing construction site PHOTO/Raymond-Omollo X
Morgan Wanyonyi holds a Bachelor of Science in Communication and Journalism from Rongo University and is a journalist with interests in writing and storytelling.
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