The increase in population in Kiambu County has not been directly proportional to the development of housing units, and this has brought about a challenge in housing.
Going by the population census figures of 2019, Kiambu’s population now stands at more than 2.4 million making it the most populous town in the country after Nairobi.
The low number of residential units which is currently at 796,241 in comparison to the total population depicts a high demand for affordable and adequate housing whose supply is insufficient.
Director of Housing in Kiambu County Charles Kiarie has however confirmed that plans are underway to accommodate the rise in population.
Speaking to KNA, Kiarie revealed that the County has built a total of 130 houses within the past five years for civil servants working in the police and prisons services in a bid to accommodate the staff whose number has also increased
“The county government of Kiambu has heeded the call for housing and has also partnered with private developers to construct additional housing units,” he said.
One such partnership, he mentioned was with Technofin Kenya Limited who are planning to construct 2,000 affordable housing units in Juja and Ruiru towns.
In January, 2023, President William Ruto launched the Affordable Housing Project in
Ruiru, Kiambu that is set to deliver 1,050 housing units that will accommodate about 20 000 people.
“The government project was put up in order to alleviate a housing deficit and also to boost the local economy. The private sector has also come in handy to help alleviate the challenge of housing in Kiambu County” Kiarie said.
Stanley Njenga, a taxi driver in Kiambu town confirmed to KNA that housing in Kiambu is a big challenge and that with the increase in population the rent has hiked due to the demand.
“When I rented a small room in Kiambu some years back, I was paying Sh4500 but now it has shot up to Sh7,000 just because of the demand. The houses are few and the population of Kiambu is growing by day”, he said.
Kiambu is a dormitory zone to the overstretched Nairobi County, as many of its inhabitants prefer to seek accommodation in the urban centers located within Kiambu, and therefore commute to Nairobi daily.
This however has spelt a boom to Kiambu’s property prices and residential investments over the years but also made it expensive for prospective tennts to get residential houses which are scarce.
By Terry Njueini
