Ruto Defends Mukuru Affordable Housing, Rejects 'Vertical Slums' Claims Amid Criticism

Published 11 hours ago• 3 minute read

President William Ruto has defended the government's Affordable Housing program against criticism that the new high-rise units are just but 'vertical slums'.

An animated Ruto spoke on Tuesday, May 20, during the handover ceremony of 1,080 completed housing units at the Mukuru Meteorological Site in Nairobi County, where he dismissed the notion that his housing projects will not benefit Kenyans who are struggling economically.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a vertical slum," Ruto said, adding, "There’s a misguided tendency to equate density with deprivation. A slum is not defined by population size, but by the absence of services, safety, and dignity.”

During the groundbreaking ceremony, Ruto led Mukuru residents in song and dance as he promised that the homes would come with critical infrastructure to ensure a decent standards of living for low-income Kenyans.

President William Ruto during the commissioning of the Mukuru Phase I Affordable Housing.

PCS

The president added, "We also recognise that homes alone are not enough. People must be able to earn, trade, and thrive. That is why we are building modern, structured markets alongside housing, economic hubs where farmers, traders, and Mama Mboga can do business with dignity."

With the government targeting over 13,000 units in the Mukuru area upon completion of the project, Ruto described the handing over of the 1080 social housing units as ' the most consequential day in his political career'.

Ruto further emphasised that the provision of infrastructure alone was not enough to make the project transformational, as he predicted the project would have a ripple effect on the economy of the Mukuru area.

Besides the housing project, the president also announced the government's plans to develop 26 modern markets while also upgrading 201 existing ones.

The government further revealed that while the Mukuru Phase I project was complete, there were 200 other projects of a similar nature spread across the country, which the president claims will employ more than 200,000 youth.

In a measured response to his critics, President Ruto defended his administration’s strong focus on affordable housing, noting that he deliberately chose to pursue projects that previous leaders had avoided.

Ruto acknowledged the risk of backlash but maintained that bold decisions were necessary to address long-standing issues affecting ordinary Kenyans.

"To build things like this, one needs to make difficult decisions, and we have not had leaders who are willing to make difficult decisions for the betterment of the country," he added.

President William Ruto during the handover ceremony of 1,080 completed homes at the Mukuru Meteorological Site in Nairobi County

PCS

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