NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has pledged to allocate units under the government’s Affordable Housing Programme to National Police Service officers if elected President.
Sifuna said police officers deserve access to decent and affordable housing because of their role in maintaining security and order across the country.
Speaking at Jacaranda Grounds during a Linda Mwananchi rally, Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino also commended police officers for what they described as professionalism in managing an opposition supporters’ convoy through Nairobi.
Sifuna said officers maintained order without disrupting the procession, which he contrasted with previous occasions when opposition supporters attending political rallies were tear-gassed.
Sifuna promises better housing for police
Sifuna said police officers should receive greater support to improve their welfare, including access to decent and affordable housing.
He pledged that officers would benefit from affordable housing units if he wins the presidency.
The promise comes as housing and the welfare of security officers increasingly feature in political debate ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Sifuna also linked the housing question to the wider challenges facing Nairobi residents, particularly those living in informal settlements.
Sifuna challenges Ruto over Nairobi slums
While supporting the idea of affordable housing, Sifuna questioned whether the government’s programme has significantly addressed Nairobi’s informal settlements.
He challenged President William Ruto to identify a slum in Nairobi that had been eliminated as a direct result of the construction of affordable housing units.
“When Ruto was elected, the Mathare slum was already there. In Mukuru kwa Njenga, there was a slum. In Kibera, there was a slum.”
Sifuna said the government should demonstrate the impact of the housing programme on informal settlements.
“Since you keep saying you have built these houses. I have dared you, Hon. William Ruto, to swear by the Bible and tell Kenyans which slum in Nairobi you have closed down because of the houses you have built,” he said.
His remarks put the government’s affordable housing record at the centre of his wider criticism of the housing situation in Nairobi.
Government says more than 8,000 units completed
According to government figures cited in the statement, the Affordable Housing Programme has so far delivered more than 8,000 completed housing units.
The government has set a target of constructing 250,000 affordable housing units annually, with the programme primarily aimed at low- and middle-income households.
The programme is also financed partly through the Affordable Housing Levy, under which employees contribute 1.5 per cent of their gross salary, with employers making a matching contribution.
Sifuna says housing crisis is also an income problem
Sifuna argued that the housing crisis cannot be addressed simply by increasing the supply of houses.
He said the problem is also linked to household incomes, with many Nairobi residents lacking sufficient disposable income to afford decent accommodation.
