Housing key to economic stability

Our failure to act on housing more sustainably is a major source of Kenya’s economic instability. If the problem of housing is not addressed, the situation could get worse.

I got to this conclusion after an interview with Tengo and Samuel. Both are in their early 30s, work in the public sector and commute daily from one of the emerging peri-urban estates. Their savings and credit co-operative (Sacco) helped them acquire the one-eighth piece of land that they are building homes on to avoid rent.

Like many Kenyans running away from rental homes, they have been living in half-finished homes. In their upcoming neighbourhood, common infrastructure like water, power, roads and sewerage does not exist and they have no idea whose responsibility i