Housing in Kenya is not just a crisis; it is an emergency. Over 60% of the country’s urban population lives in informal settlements, many without toilets, electricity, clean water, or security of tenure. These settlements are not temporary, they are home to workers, families, students, and elders. Yet state housing programs continue to target only the formally employed, offering mortgage schemes that are out of reach for most citizens. NFD believes that dignified shelter is not a market commodity, it is a human right.

We will create County Housing Trusts, institutions designed to finance and manage the construction of low-cost housing specifically for informal workers, single mothers, and youth-headed households. These trusts will operate transparently and partner with cooperatives, churches, unions, and neighborhood associations to identify need, co-design units, and manage rent-to-own schemes.

Informal settlements will not be demolished; they will be upgraded. Through participatory urban planning, communities will guide the installation of piped water, sanitation, street lighting, road access, schools, and clinics. Insecure land tenure will be addressed by issuing titles to long-term residents, with safeguards against predatory land speculation.

We will train young architects and engineers in Community-Led Design Studios, where they will work alongside residents to build housing that fits local climate, culture, and materials. Local labor and supply chains will be prioritized, creating jobs while addressing housing gaps.

Urban zoning laws will be enforced to prevent elite land grabbing, especially around green spaces, riparian reserves, and public infrastructure. Environmental justice will be central to urban planning, not an afterthought.

UN-Habitat (2022) notes that 61% of Kenya’s urban residents live in informal settlements. Meanwhile, government housing programs continue to favor the top 20% of earners. Land titling has stalled in over 20 counties, often due to elite interference. NFD will break this impasse. Under our government, no Kenyan will be denied dignity because of their address. Shelter will be secure. Neighborhoods will be safe. Cities will be just.