In Baku
President William Ruto has pledged to deliver door keys to 55,000 families by year end, declaring Kenya’s housing programme the largest on the continent, even as protests over soaring fuel prices gripped Nairobi and other towns back home.
In his address to the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, President Ruto said Kenya has built 273,000 housing units over the past three years, with keys already handed over to 8,000 families.
“By the end of this year, another 55,000 families will receive housing keys,” President Rutosaid. “Currently, we have a project portfolio of 700,000 housing units.”
President William Ruto addresses graduate interns recruited under the Affordable Housing Programme during an engagement at State House, Nairobi, on January 23, 2026.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
“I can confidently say that today Kenya is implementing the largest housing programme on the African continent.”
The President was addressing leaders and international delegates during the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Azerbaijani capital, even as back home hundreds of Kenyans marched on the streets of Nairobi and other towns in protest against rising fuel costs.
Dr Ruto stressed the global importance of addressing housing challenges, noting that nearly every country faces shortages and affordability issues.
“Statistics show that 3 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions, 1 billion people live in slums, and 300 million people are homeless,” he said. “These are not just cold statistics. These are people. These are families. These are children.”
Dr Ruto noted that the right to housing is guaranteed under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but said the scale of the global housing crisis has undermined that principle.
President Ruto said Kenya has 1,100 informal settlements housing about 7 million people, prompting the government to make housing a central pillar of its national development agenda.
The Head of State identified three major obstacles to housing development in Kenya: land accessibility, construction costs and financing.
He said the government provided land for the Affordable Housing project, taxed Kenyans to provide financing, and identified private sector partnerships to address construction costs.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev highlighted Azerbaijan’s geographic position between Europe and Asia, pointing to its reflection in urban and architectural development.
President William Ruto (right) with his Azerbaijan counterpart Ilham Aliyev at Baku Olympic Stadium, Baku, on May 17, 2026.
Photo credit: PCS
Aliyev emphasised that Baku’s urban landscape reflects a careful balance between preservation and modernisation.
“And today, with all understanding about the necessity of urban development, especially in capital cities, we must be brave and cautious. This natural harmony in Baku, between old and new, between the preservation of our historical heritage and the need for urban planning and modernisation, is a vivid demonstration of the talent of our ancestors,” said President Aliyev during his speech at the opening ceremony of WUF13.
He also noted that 2026 has been declared the Year of Urban Planning and Architecture by his decree, highlighting the state’s focus on the sector.
UN Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach noted that roughly 3 billion people globally face housing insecurity, over 1 billion live in informal settlements, and more than 300 million are homeless.
She warned that this structural crisis—historically most severe in Africa, including Kenya—is now increasingly being felt in developed countries due to rising living costs and global supply chain risks.
“Our goal is to find an answer to the question: How can we ensure adequate housing for all in times of uncertainty, instability and disruption?”
She stated that solutions for climate resilience and upgrading informal settlements already exist, but the primary challenge is accelerating their speed and scale of execution.
“No session of this nature has ever brought together such a large global audience as WUF13,” Rossbach said.
“It is no coincidence that tens of thousands of people, including high level leaders from diverse communities worldwide, have gathered in Baku. Our goal is to find an answer to ensure adequate housing for all in an era of uncertainty, instability and disruption.”
