President William Ruto handed over keys to homeowners at the Pioneer Affordable Housing Project in Eldoret.
The Sh5.3 billion estate includes homes, shops and community facilities, while Ruto says local suppliers provided 97 per cent of construction materials.
President William Ruto marked the Pioneer housing handover on Sunday evening, giving keys to 2,157 homeowners in Eldoret. The completed Sh5.3 billion development sits in Uasin Gishu County.
The estate combines residential units with shops, recreation areas and other community facilities. Ruto said it would expand homeownership while supporting local manufacturers, artisans and small businesses.
Pioneer housing handover covers three home categories
The project includes 552 social housing units for families requiring greater support and 1,065 affordable homes. The affordable category ranges from studio apartments to three-bedroom units, while another 540 houses fall in the market-rate category.
Across its 15 blocks, the estate also provides 104 shops, a kindergarten, playgrounds and green spaces. Residents have access to a clubhouse and swimming pool. Plans additionally include a junior school, two basketball courts and a football pitch.
Ruto said the estate offers Wi-Fi to support residents working from home. He also described its recreation facilities as part of an effort to encourage healthier living.
Among the new homeowners are Eldoret National Polytechnic students Abigail Chepkemoi and Albert Ipolo. Chepkemoi, 21, worked at the construction site and saved part of her earnings towards a house deposit. She is now preparing to leave student accommodation for her own home.
Ruto said the programme had opened a route to property ownership for Kenyans who would otherwise struggle to buy homes.
Local artisans supply doors and windows
Ruto said Kenyan suppliers provided 97 per cent of the materials used in the project. Construction consumed more than 394,000 bags of cement and 4,500 tonnes of steel, alongside locally supplied sand, ballast and fittings.
More than 50 Jua Kali associations in Eldoret supplied 2,272 steel doors and 6,486 windows. The President said the government had reserved that work for local artisans rather than importing those products.
However, lifts remained the project’s only major imported items. Ruto said they accounted for about three per cent of the materials and equipment he referenced.
He also announced that the government had secured seven manufacturers to produce lifts in Kenya. He said domestic production would serve future affordable housing developments.
Beyond Pioneer, Ruto said 84 Eldoret Jua Kali associations had received programme opportunities worth Sh264 million. He put the corresponding value at Sh3.8 billion across the North Rift and Sh61 billion nationally.
Small businesses also benefited from activity around the site. Gladys Chemeli and Janet Jemutai have run food outlets there since construction began.
At peak construction this year, the project employed more than 1,000 people. Meanwhile, Ruto said the wider housing programme should support more than two million jobs by the end of 2027.
More housing projects planned across Uasin Gishu
The President also outlined other developments in the county. Eldoret Railway City is expected to deliver 2,231 homes, while Kidiwa Phase Two comprises 1,800 units. The Lumumba Housing Project will add 2,000 units in a development rising 24 storeys.
Overall, Ruto said Uasin Gishu has 12,429 affordable homes worth Sh29.9 billion planned or under construction. Including student hostels, modern markets and a primary school raises the government’s county investment to Sh41.8 billion, he added.
He said housing developments in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, and Gichugu, Kirinyaga County, were ready for handover. He also set a target of completing 45,000 affordable housing units by December 2027.
On funding, Ruto pledged prudent management of the Affordable Housing Fund and accountability for officials overseeing it. He said the fund finances homes, modern markets and student hostels.
The President also thanked employees and employers contributing through monthly deductions equivalent to 1.5 per cent of salaries. He described their contributions as central to delivering the government’s housing plans.
