President William Ruto has defended his move to transfer idle land from some public institutions to others that can make use of it.
Ruto defended the government's decision to transfer land from state agencies such as Kenya Prisons to the Ministry of Lands, a decision that has drawn sharp criticism from some Kenyans.
The president, who spoke at the opening of the Central Bank of Kenya Police Housing Complex, said it was not in his administration’s desire to allow government agencies to hold idle land while others could make better use of it.
"I do not see why another government agency should hold land that could otherwise be beneficial to another government agency," Ruto said.
President Ruto further disclosed that the government is targeting acquisition of more land from the Prisons Department to support the expansion of additional public amenities across the country, among them the affordable housing project.
He noted that the ongoing transfer of land and land swaps are part of a broader strategy to make better use of underutilised government land, especially in urban areas where space is limited but the demand for public infrastructure is growing.
Among the counties that have so far been affected by the initiative are Kisii, Homa Bay, and Kitale, the latter having already seen a completed land exchange that sparked public debate. But Ruto defended the move, citing it as a necessary trade-off to drive national development.
''I remember, for example, in Kitale, the Prisons gave us land which we are now using for affordable housing. We are in discussions with Kisii, Hombay, and Kitale Prisons to undertake a similar swap.''
In Homa Bay, the government has completed deliberations with the Prisons Department for land exchange to build a centre of excellence at Tom Mboya University. Last week, Ruto ordered the relocation of the Homa Bay GK Prison to a new site in Lambwe Valley, to free up land for the expansion of Tom Mboya University.
In January last year, President Ruto ordered the eviction of individuals who had reportedly grabbed land belonging to Kenya Prisons in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County.
Speaking during a tour of the region on January 14, Ruto stated that the encroachers were occupying land designated for the relocation of the prison facility.
He emphasized that the relocation was part of a broader government plan to expand Kitale town and create space for new investments, which he said was being hampered by unlawful occupants.
The Head of State regretted that the actions of land grabbers were stalling government efforts to actualize development in the area and warned that such interference would not be tolerated.
The government has a target to construct 200,000 affordable housing units annually, aiming to deliver a total of 1 million homes over five years.
As of April 2025, approximately 140,000 units had been completed, with a recent release of 5,000 units attracting over 500,000 interested applicants through the Boma Yangu platform.
