President William Ruto's initiative to construct over 170,000 houses through the Affordable Housing Project appears to have set a new precedent for other African nations.
While the affordable housing project began in 2017, the initiative took pace in 2023 following the introduction of the Housing Levy, which requires salaried Kenyans to contribute 1.5 per cent of their gross income to the project.
Following the project's successful implementation, Ghana now seeks to adopt Kenya's strategy to finance the construction of its affordable houses.
Speaking on Wednesday, September 24, Ghanaian President John Mahama praised Ruto's visionary projects such as the Affordable Housing Programme and the Hustler Fund.
In particular, Mahama revealed that he consulted the Head of State, who gave him a few tips on how to finance an affordable housing programme in his country.
"I am impressed by the effort that my brother in Kenya is making to provide affordable houses. I asked President Ruto how he is affording the project. So he is giving me a few tips which I hope I will go back to Ghana with," said Mahama.
In a similar situation two weeks ago, President Ruto drew similarities between Ethiopia's multi-billion-dollar dam project and Kenya's Affordable Housing programme.
Addressing delegates in Addis Ababa during the launch of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, Ruto noted that just like Ethiopia, his administration was driving development through local mobilisation.
He disclosed that more than 700,000 housing units were in the pipeline, with 170,000 completed using funds drawn locally.
"Kenyans from their own resources have raised $4 billion worth of projects under the housing programme. This mirrors what Ethiopia has done with this dam," the Head of State exuded.
Meanwhile, the latest development comes a day after President Ruto received recognition as the Global Champion of Adequate Housing for All.
Ruto was recognised on Wednesday, September 24, during the high-level roundtable of the Global Champions on Affordable Housing held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York, the United States.
Among the African leaders present during the roundtable meeting are Ghanaian President Mahama and his Botswana Counterpart Duma Boko.
