President William Ruto's ambition to deliver thousands of affordable housing units, roads, stadiums and dams has achieved notable progress compared to when he took office more than three years ago.
Although projects in the water and sports sectors, such as the construction of mega dams and stadia, have lagged behind, progress made now faces the 2026 new year test in the delivery of affordable housing and infrastructure development.
Dr Ruto promised to deliver 200,000 low-cost housing units per year when he took office in 2022.
At the time, Dr Ruto told Parliament that 46,792 units in various parts of the country were already underway, while another 40,000 were ready to commence construction.
While addressing a joint sitting of Parliament during his first State of the Nation Address, he said 50,000 Kenyans who were previously unemployed were already engaged directly and indirectly in the enterprise.
He said a total of 746,795 housing units were in the pipeline, undergoing various stages of delivery.
President William Ruto addresses wananchi after inspecting the Limuru Affordable Housing Project in Kiambu County on August 10, 2025.
Photo credit: PCS
But in his 2025 State of the Nation Address, Dr Ruto announced that his administration had “delivered the most extensive housing rollout in our history: 230,000 affordable homes.”
“The programme has created over 428,000 jobs, including architects, engineers, fundis, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, steelworkers, transporters, and thousands of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in fittings, fabrication and interior works,” Dr Ruto said.
“At its peak next year, it will employ up to one million Kenyans.”
The affordable housing programme has three categories of houses: social, affordable and market-rate.
The interest on financing for buying the various units has been set at single digits, providing poor households with an opportunity to own homes.
For social housing, where the majority of slum dwellers live, the interest rate will be three per cent; affordable housing, six per cent; and nine per cent for the market-rate category.
Mukuru Housing Estate Phase 1, Nairobi, in this photo taken on May 27, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation
This low interest rate has seen poor households allocated units where they pay as little as Sh3, 000 per month, ultimately owning the units once they clear the purchase price.
Poor households in Mukuru and other parts of the country have already been allocated affordable housing units.
Although the housing project has been delivered at scale in Nairobi and other major cities, projects in rural areas remain on paper as they are yet to take off.
When he took over power in 2022, Dr Ruto promised to deliver 1,000 kilometres of roads across the country in a plan that includes the dualling of major highways and the construction of new tarmac roads to enhance road transport.
Although some roads are under construction, Dr Ruto’s administration has suffered from budgetary constraints, leading contractors to abandon works.
“To scale up our transport and logistics programme, the Ministry of Roads and Transport has already mapped out a comprehensive network of 2,500 highways for dualling and 28,000 kilometres of roads to be tarmacked in the next 10 years,” he told MPs in November 2025.
President William Ruto addresses residents of Mau Summit in Nakuru County where he made his third launch of the dualling of the Rironi-Mau Summit highway on November 28, 2025.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation Media Group
Dr Ruto has since launched the dualing of the 170-kilometre Rironi–Naivasha–Nakuru–Mau Summit road and that of the 58-kilometre Rironi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha road
In his State of the Nation address, the President made additional promises for the dualling of roads, including Muthaiga–Kiambu–Ndumberi; Machakos Junction–Mariakani; Mau Summit–Kericho–Kisumu; Kisumu–Busia; Mau Summit–Eldoret–Malaba; Athi River–Namanga; Karatina–Nanyuki–Isiolo; Makutano–Embu–Meru–Maua; Mtwapa–Malindi; Mombasa–Lunga Lunga; Kericho–Kisii–Migori–Isebania; Nakuru–Nyahururu–Karatina; Kisii–Oyugis–Ahero; the Northern Bypass; James Gichuru Road; Bomas–Karen–Ngong; Bomas–Ongata Rongai–Kiserian; Ngong–Isinya; and Naivasha–Kikuyu, among many other key corridors nationwide, which he said will require at least Sh5 trillion.
On dam construction, Dr Ruto pledged to build mega dams in 2022, but so far none is under construction.
However, while addressing lawmakers last year, Dr Ruto said Kenya must build at least 50 mega dams nationwide, alongside 200 additional medium and small dams and thousands of micro dams, to collect and store water—not only to secure supply, but also to bring at least 2.5 million acres under irrigation within the next five to seven years.
The projects, he said, span the breadth of Kenya, from the High Grand Falls mega dam on River Daua in Mandera; Isiolo–Barsalinga Dam; Yatta in Machakos; Sigly Canal in Garissa; Soin Koru in Kisumu; Rumuruti in Laikipia; Thuci in Embu and Tharaka-Nithi; Lowaat in Turkana; Muhoya Dam straddling Nyeri and Kirinyaga; Narosura in Narok; and Arror in Elgeyo-Marakwet. Others include Ndarugu in Kiambu, Kokwanyo in Homa Bay, Rare in Kilifi, Tongaren in Bungoma, and many more strategic sites nationwide.
The plan by Dr Ruto to construct a modern stadium in every county has not materialised nearly three years down the line.
Talanta Sports City Stadium under construction in Nairobi on November 14, 2025.
Photo credit: Pool
The only ongoing multi-billion-shilling, 80,000-seater Talanta City Stadium, now renamed Raila Odinga International Stadium, is nearing completion.
The stadium is being fast-tracked in preparation for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations championship, which will be co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Apart from Talanta Stadium, Dr Ruto in August 2025 promised that Kenya would construct 25 new stadiums across the country as part of preparations to host the 2028 Afcon—a pledge that is yet to materialise.
