NHC Unveils Kes350 Billion Strategic Plan as it marks 70 years of existence

An affordable housing unit – a house targeted at a person whose monthly income is between KES 20 000 and KES 149 000 per month. An affordable middle-class housing unit – middle to high-income housing targeted at persons whose monthly income is over KES 149 000 per month.

By Steve Umidha Last updated May 27, 2024

By Eunice WAWUDA

The Kenyan government will expand the mandate of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) to meet the growing demand for affordable housing through a public-private partnership (PPPs) model to tap into additional resources and expertise in order to make the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) a reality.

According to Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei said the government will also seek to review some of the outdated housing policies to attract participating housing developers.

“To achieve this, we are encouraging public-private partnerships to leverage additional resources and expertise. We are also reviewing and updating policies to create a more conducive environment for housing development. We aim to ensure that every citizen has access to safe, affordable, and decent housing,” said Koskei.

He spoke today during NHC’s 70th anniversary celebrations with the unveiling of a new logo and a new five-year strategic plan by the corporation

President William Ruto assented to the Affordable Housing Bill 2023 on 19th March 2024. The Affordable Housing Act, Act No. 2 of 2024, (the Act) establishes a framework aimed at facilitating the development and accessibility of affordable and institutional housing.

The Corporation’s Strategic Plan is anchored on five major pillars: Housing, Financial, Estate Management, Research & Innovation, and Corporate Sustainability.

Of the one million affordable housing units the Government plans to build by the end of the financial year 2027/2028, the Corporation plans to build more than 100,000 units.

The Corporation’s Chief executive David Mathu, said that NHC is committed to helping the Government achieve 250,000 housing units per year under the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda.

“We are actively involved in affordable housing projects in four counties: Nyandarua, Embu, Kirinyaga, and Homa Bay. The Corporation has also broken ground in Meru, Nakuru, Kericho, Kakamega, Uasin Gishu, Mombasa, Kisumu, Machakos, and Taita,” he said.

Adding that, “Under the Estate Management key result area, the Corporation will, in the next five years, secure and conserve all its land against grabbers, offer suitable and conducive housing units, redevelop the old schemes built in the 70s and 80s, and settle squatters where necessary.”