Affordable housing (Affordable Housing Programme)

The Affordable Housing Programme builds homes on public land, often in partnership with private developers, and sells them to Kenyans who meet the programme's rules.

The law. The Affordable Housing Act 2024, assented on 19 March 2024, sets up the programme, the Affordable Housing Fund and the Affordable Housing Board. It replaced the earlier housing levy provision in the Finance Act 2023, which courts had found discriminatory.

Categories. The Act sorts units into categories by household income: social housing for the lowest incomes, affordable housing for lower and middle incomes, and affordable middle-class housing for higher incomes, plus rural housing schemes. Only individuals can apply, each person can be allocated one unit, and reselling a unit needs the Board's consent.

How to get a unit. You register on Boma Yangu, save a deposit, and apply for a unit in a project. Allocation is on a first-come, first-served basis. You can buy outright (cash or mortgage) or through the Tenant Purchase Scheme, where you move in after paying the deposit and pay monthly until you own the unit. Once the unit is fully paid, you get a sectional title.

Court challenges. The High Court upheld the 2024 Act in October 2024. On 25 September 2026 the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal against it. We found no report of a Supreme Court appeal as of 13 October 2026.

• Nairobi: the largest projects, including estate renewal schemes on public land.
• Counties: projects are spread across counties, often on county land; check Boma Yangu for live projects near you.