During the administration of former President Uhuru Kenyatta, affordable housing was one of the pillars in his Big 4 agenda.
The Big 4 Agenda comprised; manufacturing, food and nutrition security, Universal Health Coverage and affordable housing.
The concept of affordable housing is nothing new in Kenya. It has been part and parcel of Kenya’s socio-economic landscape. Back in the day, those who lived in social housing were the envy of others. The estates were well laid out and serviced with uninterrupted water and electricity supply, sewage lines and smooth, clean roads. They estates were maintained by city council officers.
The roads were well-lit at night. Residents had social halls and sports fields for recreation. The social halls were centres for communal engagements, music, drama, weddings and discos. Some of us spent hours practising on the sports fields, playing whichever game we fancied. I chose basketball. It didn’t lead to a career in the NBA, but I had a lot of fun and made many friends. Most children were kept busy, as there were plenty of free and accessible activities to choose from. As a result, many children from the estates went on to become world-class athletes.
