Kenya's Affordable Housing Board says 13,012 homes are complete and 7,050 occupied; it targets 45,000 by year-end

Kenya's Affordable Housing Board has completed 13,012 housing units, 7,050 of them occupied, as of October, and is aiming to have 45,000 ready by the end of the year, chief executive Joe Mutugu said, as quoted by The Star on 27 October 2026.

Mutugu said the board is speeding up about 65 projects to reach the 45,000 mark. The 45,000 is a target, not a delivered figure. He said the board intends to complete another 15,000 homes in the first half of 2027.

The same target was set out in July. Charles Hinga, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, said the board was "under clear directive to deliver 45,000 units between now and December", with a further 15,000 units early in 2027, as quoted by The Star on 25 July.

The 27 October report says more than 303,900 affordable housing units are completed or under construction nationwide. The State Department says Kenya needs about 200,000 units a year to close the housing deficit.

Mutugu described three categories of home, set by monthly income. Social housing is designed for people who earn less than KSh 20,000 a month, affordable housing for those who earn between KSh 20,000 and KSh 120,000, and market-segment homes for those who earn more than KSh 150,000.

Applicants pay a deposit of 5 per cent, and Mutugu said allocation is first-come, first-served. In Mukuru, Nairobi, where the board has around 13,000 units, it received more than 25,000 applications, he said.

The board's website sets out three steps for would-be buyers. Registration is free and needs an eCitizen account; it can be done on the Boma Yangu portal or through the *832# USSD code. To activate an account, a buyer must save at least KSh 200; after that, any amount can be saved at any time. The buyer then selects a unit and is told how much must be saved to qualify for allocation.

The government collects a 1.5 per cent housing levy from workers.

One of the projects is in Makuyu town, Maragua constituency, Murang'a County, with 764 residential units. The Department of Housing says the programme has created more than 1 million jobs since 2022.