President William Ruto handed over keys to 2,157 homeowners at the Pioneer Affordable Housing Project in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County, on Sunday evening.
The colourful ceremony was marked by fanfare, dazzling fireworks and inspiring testimonies from homeowners, construction workers and Jua Kali artisans who played a key role in the development of the project.
The KSh5.3 billion estate features 104 shops, 15 blocks, a kindergarten, playgrounds, green open spaces, a clubhouse and a swimming pool.
The estate will also include a junior school, two basketball courts and a football pitch, creating a well-planned community where residents can live, work and play.
Presiding over the handover, President William Ruto said: “We are selling a lifestyle. The estate comes with Wi-Fi to enable the occupants work from home. The swimming pool, gym, basketball courts and football pitch will help residents keep fit and healthy.”
At Pioneer, 97 per cent of the materials used were locally made in Kenya. The project used more than 394,000 bags of cement and 4,500 tonnes of steel, with sand, ballast and fittings sourced from Kenyan industries.
He pointed out that more than 50 Jua Kali associations in Eldoret supplied 2,272 steel doors and 6,486 windows for the project.
“We insisted that no door or window is going to be imported. We empowered Jua Kali to do it,” he said.
The only items imported were lifts and comprised a mere 3 per cent. But President Ruto announced that no more lifts would be imported for the Affordable Housing Programme, saying the Government has secured seven manufacturers to produce lifts locally.
“From now,” the President explained, “local manufacturers will make the lifts in Kenya.”
Pioneer comprises 552 social housing units for families who need the most support, 1,065 affordable houses ranging from studios to three-bedroom units, and 540 market rate homes.
Among the beneficiaries are Abigail Chepkemoi and Albert Ipolo, who are students at Eldoret National Polytechnic and now homeowners.
At just 21, Abigail began her homeownership journey by working at the Pioneer construction site, saving her earnings and making a deposit for her home. She is now ready to move out of the hostel and into her own home.
The President pointed out that the Affordable Housing Programme is promoting equity by giving low-income earners an opportunity to live in decent housing estates.
“I see people who are now homeowners. They would otherwise have not had an opportunity to own a house today if it were not for the Affordable Housing Programme,” he said.
He also noted that the project has created millions of jobs at the more than 200 construction sites and beyond.
Ms Gladys Chemeli and Ms Janet Jemutai have operated food outlets at the site since construction began, earning a living and demonstrating the wider economic impact of the project.
President Ruto said the Pioneer project is among several housing developments being undertaken in Uasin Gishu County, citing the Eldoret Railway City project, which will deliver 2,231 homes, Kidiwa Phase 2 with 1,800 homes, and the Lumumba Housing Project, a 2,000-unit project rising 24 storeys and transforming the skyline of Eldoret City.
Across Uasin Gishu County, 12,429 affordable homes worth KSh29.9 billion are planned or under construction. Together with student hostels, modern markets and a primary school, the Government’s total investment in the county stands at KSh41.8 billion.
The President said the Government has delivered similar housing projects in Mukuru in Nairobi, Bomet, Kakamega and Homa Bay, among others, while projects in Nanyuki, Laikipia County and Gichugu in Kirinyaga are ready for handover.
“By December 2027, we will have completed 45,000 affordable housing units,” he said.
He explained that beyond expanding access to affordable housing, the programme is creating opportunities for skilled workers and Jua Kali enterprises.
The project has created opportunities for local Jua Kali artisans, with KSh264 million going to 84 Jua Kali associations in Eldoret City.
Across the North Rift, Jua Kali artisans have benefited from opportunities worth KSh3.8 billion. Nationally, similar associations have benefited from opportunities worth KSh61 billion.
At the height of construction works at Pioneer project this year, more than 1,000 people were working at the site.
By the end of 2027, the President explained, more than two million Kenyans will be working in the Affordable Housing Programme.
At the same time, he stated that the Government has incorporated art into the Affordable Housing Programme, engaging local artists, including painters, to beautify buildings, create jobs and support the creative economy.
Meanwhile, President Ruto said no shilling contributed to the Affordable Housing Fund will be lost, pledging “full accountability” in the management of the Fund to make the dream of homeownership a reality for many more Kenyans.
Across the country, he explained, the government is utilising the Fund prudently to deliver housing, modern markets and student hostels.
“I give you my commitment that not a single shilling will be lost. I must be held to account and I will hold every official who works under me to account,” he said.
The President thanked the millions of employees and employers who contribute 1.5 per cent of their salaries monthly towards achieving the transformation witnessed in the housing agenda.
“You are true heroes of our society,” he said.
