A group of Kenyans living in informal settlements have petitioned President William Ruto to implement the Kenya Kwanza Affordable Housing project through their house building and buying cooperatives and not private developers.

Housing Rights Coalition- Kenya, a network of civil societies and grass root organisations in the informal settlements yesterday vowed to stop the project if the houses will not be built and leased out using their cooperatives, arguing that their participation in the programme is the only way to ensure that they benefit.

Led by Lawrence Apiyo of Grassroots Trust, the slum dwellers want their Savings and Co-Operative Societies (Saccos) specifically designed to enable members build or buy houses for themselves be involved in the affordable housing project because they do not believe they will eventually own the new houses once complete.

Slum dwellers

“The Affordable Housing Bill,2023 does not capture the existing voluntary cooperatives owned by slum dwellers which members have contributed and continue to contribute in order to own houses,” said Apiyo.

The lobby plans to develop an alternative Housing Bill that will take into account their concerns and interests of those they deem as vulnerable and marginalised should the government not listen to their demands.