President William Ruto toured Ngong Town in Kajiado County on Monday, inspecting the Ngong Vet Affordable Housing Project as his administration stepped up development activities in the area.
The President’s visit also focused on transport infrastructure, with the Kahara-Ngong Road and Ngong Stadium Loop Road among the projects featuring in his engagements.
The tour comes as the government continues to position affordable housing and infrastructure development as key pillars of its economic agenda.
Ruto inspects Ngong Vet housing project
Ruto inspected ongoing works at the Ngong Vet Affordable Housing Project, part of the government’s nationwide Affordable Housing Programme.
The programme has been promoted by the administration as both a response to Kenya’s housing shortage and a source of employment through construction-related activities.
Ruto has recently claimed that the programme has created more than 1.1 million jobs since he took office in 2022.
Speaking during a meeting with Teso elders at Eldoret State Lodge on August 29, the President said the jobs had been created across several areas of the construction sector, including engineering, plumbing, mechanics and other trades.
The government has increasingly presented housing construction as an economic programme extending beyond the delivery of homes, with the construction sector generating demand for workers, materials and related services.
Kahara-Ngong Road among key projects
Ruto’s Ngong tour also featured the Kahara-Ngong Road, which is expected to improve connectivity within the area.
The government has consistently linked road construction and upgrading to improved movement of people and goods, better access to markets and increased economic activity.
The latest road projects come against the backdrop of wider infrastructure investments across Kajiado. Earlier in the month, Ruto commissioned the upgrading of the Ngong-Kibiko-Kangeria Road to bitumen standard, with the project expected to improve transport and movement of agricultural produce and other goods.
Ngong Stadium Loop Road also launched
The President’s programme also included the launch of the Ngong Stadium Loop Road, adding to a series of infrastructure projects being rolled out in the town.
The road project is part of efforts to improve the local road network and ease movement within the growing urban centre. The project had earlier been advertised for upgrading to bitumen standards.
For residents, such projects are expected to improve access between neighbourhoods while supporting businesses and other economic activities.
Housing remains a major government priority
Ruto’s visit comes as his administration intensifies its defence of the Affordable Housing Programme amid political criticism.
The President has argued that abandoning the programme would not only affect housing delivery but also put the livelihoods of millions of workers at risk.
In August, he warned that more than 1.1 million jobs he attributed to the programme could be affected if the initiative were scrapped.
The government has also reported a large pipeline of housing projects across the country, with construction involving social housing, affordable homes and student accommodation.
Sifuna criticism adds political dimension
The housing programme has faced criticism from opposition leaders, including Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who has questioned whether some high-rise developments are suited to the lifestyles of communities in Western Kenya.
Sifuna previously used the example of chickens to question the practicality of putting rural residents in high-rise apartments.
Ruto has dismissed such criticism, arguing that opponents should focus on providing alternatives rather than ridiculing government projects.
The disagreement reflects a wider political debate over whether the government’s housing model adequately responds to the needs of different communities.
Ngong development agenda takes shape
Ruto’s latest visit puts housing, roads and urban infrastructure at the centre of the government’s development agenda for Ngong.
The projects are also part of a broader push by the administration to spread major public investments beyond Nairobi and other established urban centres.
For Ngong, the focus on affordable housing and road improvements could reshape both residential development and movement within the town as the government continues rolling out its development programme.
