No amount of criticism by detractors will derail the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme, President William Ruto has said.

Ruto said he won’t be defined by election terms or by how long he serves in office. His focus, he pointed out, is on the implementation of his development agenda projects that directly impacts on the lives of Kenyans.

Speaking during the Second Kenya Urban Forum in Naivasha, Nakuru County, on Tuesday, he pledged to continue uplifting the lives of Kenyans, especially those at the bottom of the economic pyramid and informal settlements.

“Leadership is not defined by how long someone serves in office, but by the foundation put in place for a better future,” President Ruto said.

“We should be defined by how much we are impacting on the lives of the people and the difference we are making for the next generation,” the President said.

He regretted that leaders have for a long time wasted time and energy on election issues at the expense of decisions and policies aimed at transforming the lives of Kenyans.

“Transformation of a nation doesn’t take a flash. It takes deliberate steps, plans and patience, and having the courage to overcome bumps and challenges,” he explained.

He noted that the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme is enabling many Kenyans, especially those in slums, own decent homes and live dignified lives like other people.

Saying he is a man on a mission to transform the country, President Ruto added that no amount of noise by detractors will stop him from implementing his agenda.

“I won’t accept to be disrupted. I am willing to pay the price by ensuring that we give Kenyans decent homes,” he stated.

The President announced that 700,000 housing units are in the pipeline and in different stages of construction and procurement across the country.

He said he was impressed that the housing programme has transformed the lives of Jua Kali artisans, among other small and medium enterprises.

In Soweto, Nairobi, President Ruto noted that Jua Kali artisans have a contract up to a tune of KSh720 million.

“Today, Jua Kali people are winning major construction contracts. This is the new Kenya we want for all of us, a reality we envisaged in our manifesto,” the President explained.

He explained that affordable housing is a national transformation programme that is leaving no community or region or nobody behind.

“Bottom-Up is not a slogan; it is a reality, ” he said.

At the same time, the President said Kenya is rapidly urbanising at an annual growth rate of 4.3 per cent, pointing out that by 2050, half of the country’s population will be living in towns and cities.

“As a result, we are implementing bold and strategic measures to shape this urban future, ensuring that every Kenyan has access to planned, dignified and decent housing,” he said.

Kenya World Bank Country Director Qimiao Fan praised the Affordable Housing Programme, saying it will transform the lives of Kenyans in informal settlements.

He noted that decent housing plays an important role in economic growth, jobs creation and sustainable urban development.

“When urbanisation is well managed, it becomes a powerful engine for economic growth,” he said.

United Nations Habitat Director Anna Claudia, who spoke via video link, said Kenya’s housing programme was in line with the urban agenda.

She urged partners to continue financing models in urban areas to cope with the increasing number of people leaving the rural for urban areas.

Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome and Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika also addressed the forum.