Kenyan Government To Construct 8,480 Housing Units Under Affordable Housing Programme

The government has confirmed plans to construct 8,480 affordable housing units across six sub-counties in Kericho, a move that is already reshaping the local economy and creating new opportunities for residents. The project, which is part of the Kenya Kwanza administration’s Affordable Housing Programme, reflects a central promise of the government’s manifesto to deliver quality housing while boosting jobs and small businesses.
Construction has already begun at Majengo Talai in Ainamoi Sub County, where 322 units are being built at a cost of more than KSh 778 million. The project is already 33 percent complete, and another 756 units will soon be developed at the Kericho Survey Camp in the same sub-county. At Chelimo in Ainamoi, plans are underway to build 4,000 units, while Kipsitet in Soin Sub County, Kipkelion town in Kipkelion West, and Londiani will each get 1,134 units. Adverts for the first 300 units at each of these sites are ready, marking steady progress in implementation.
In addition to housing, the government is also modernizing market infrastructure in the county under the Economic Stimulus Programme. Kapkatet market in Bureti is 69 percent complete, Sosiot market is at 63 percent, Chesinende is at 47 percent, and Fort Tenant is at 42 percent. These projects, each funded with over KSh 160 million, are set to give traders better working spaces and boost local commerce. Lelu market is also in the pipeline with KSh 55 million already allocated for its construction.
The housing and markets programme is being complemented by another major investment: the construction of 3,680 student hostels across technical and vocational institutions in Kericho. These include 580 units at Sigowet KMTC, 580 at Kapkatet KMTC, 340 at Kimasian TVC, 340 at Kipsinende TVC, 580 at Kericho Township TVC, and 580 at Kabianga University. Plans are also underway to add 340 units at Bureti National Polytechnic and Belgut TVC. These facilities will not only ease accommodation challenges for students but also support the government’s focus on vocational training and youth empowerment.
The wider benefits of the housing project extend beyond providing shelter. By sourcing materials locally and employing Kericho residents, the construction is creating thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Artisans in the Jua Kali sector, such as carpenters and metal workers, are also benefitting through the supply of doors, windows, and other fittings. Contractors are required to pass on technical skills to local workers, ensuring knowledge transfer to young people trained in local technical institutions.
For Kericho’s economy, this translates into more household incomes, stronger small enterprises, and greater demand for services. The government is also working through the Micro and Small Enterprises Authority to prepare local artisans by training them in financial management, marketing, and product development so that they can fully take advantage of the opportunities created by the project.
This initiative reflects the Kenya Kwanza government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda, which identified housing as one of the key drivers of growth. The manifesto pledged to build up to 250,000 housing units annually and to use housing projects as a way of creating jobs for youth, supporting small businesses, and improving living conditions. What is happening in Kericho is a clear example of these commitments being put into practice.
Kericho’s County Integrated Development Plan also complements these national goals, with its focus on improving infrastructure, supporting small businesses, and enhancing urban livability. The housing and market developments fit neatly into this vision, helping the county unlock new growth opportunities while improving the quality of life for its residents.
The story of Kericho today is not just about houses and markets. It is about people getting access to affordable homes, students finding safe accommodation near schools, artisans gaining steady work, and traders benefiting from modern spaces to sell their goods. It is about a county positioning itself as an example of how the national government’s policies can translate into tangible change at the local level.
In the months ahead, as more units break ground and markets near completion, Kericho will continue to see the ripple effects of these investments. The housing programme is giving families a chance at decent shelter, creating thousands of jobs, and injecting new energy into the local economy. This is the kind of transformation that Kenya Kwanza envisioned: development that starts at the grassroots and uplifts communities.