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President William Ruto has kicked off one of the most ambitious urban transformation efforts in Kenya’s history, an attempt to completely eradicate Kibera, widely regarded as Africa’s largest slum.
The project has started with the eradication of slums in Soweto, a settlement area within the larger Kibera.
The president inspected the Soweto East Zone B Affordable Housing Project on Friday, May 24.
"Kibera used to be famous for being the largest slum in Africa, but with the affordable housing program, we will transform it into the largest decent estate in Africa," he said during the visit.
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The president also witnessed the ongoing enumeration of residents from Zones C and D, over 11,000 people who will be the first beneficiaries of the new homes.
The enumeration exercise is meant to ensure that residents who will be moved to avail land for building the affordable houses get priority when the project is completed.
After the handover of affordable houses in Mukuru kwa Njenga earlier in the week, some resident associations protested that they were left out of the allocation of over 1,000 newly built units.
Allocation process of Soweto Affordable Housing Units
The allocation of the affordable housing units follows a structured 10-step process.
According to Boma Yangu, the enumeration of potential homeowners is the first step, helping to identify eligible residents.
Those identified are assisted in registering on the Boma Yangu platform, the official government housing portal.
After registration, applicants must activate their accounts and begin saving towards a deposit for their preferred housing unit.
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The process also includes compliance and eligibility checks to ensure that only qualified residents proceed.
Once applicants are approved, they receive offer letters through the Boma Yangu platform.
They are then required to accept the offer by signing and uploading the letters back onto the platform.
Applications for housing units and deposit assistance are also submitted through the portal, with officials guiding residents through the online process.
Legal advisory services are made available to help potential homeowners understand the terms in their Tenant Purchase Agreements.
Successful applicants will sign their agreements before officially receiving the keys to their new homes in a formal handover ceremony.
Daily Realities in Informal Settlements
For many residents of Kibera, daily life involves navigating significant inequalities. Without formal housing, clean water, or reliable electricity, residents often pay more per unit for essential services than people living in more affluent areas.
Due to limited storage space, many families are forced to buy food and household items in small portions, known locally as “kadogo economy” purchases, which end up being more expensive in the long run.
A spoonful of sugar, a single egg, or a sachet of cooking oil may seem affordable at the moment, but the cumulative cost is significantly higher than buying in bulk.
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Insecurity, overcrowding, and lack of proper sanitation also affect the dignity of life. Shared pit latrines, long queues for water, and poor drainage contribute to frequent outbreaks of disease.
Limited access to health care and education further widens the gap between slum residents and other Kenyans.
READ ALSO: How Nairobi's slumlords rake in more cash than Runda, Muthaiga landlords
Whether Kenya can fully eradicate one of the most densely populated informal settlements in Africa remains to be seen.
The launch of the Soweto Housing Project marks a significant step in the government’s broader plan to tackle urban poverty through affordable housing.
By offering structured access to home ownership and prioritising long-time residents, the project signals an attempt to address deep-rooted social and economic inequalities.
For many Kibera residents, the promise of formal housing represents more than just new walls, it offers relief from the daily challenges of insecure shelter, high costs for basic goods, poor sanitation, and lack of access to public services.
However, transforming such a large and complex settlement will require more than buildings. It will take sustained political commitment, community involvement, and transparent implementation to ensure that no one is left behind.
As the first group of residents prepares to move into the newly completed units, all eyes will be on how the process is managed, how inclusive it remains, and what impact it has on the broader goal of dignified urban living.
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What happens in Kibera could shape the future of slum redevelopment in Kenya and serve as a reference point for similar efforts across the continent.