Homeless woman secures new home through Government’s affordable housing initiative

Jesee Otieno and Mark Muasa-KNA

It must have been one of the darkest moments in the life of Milka Moraa, a Nairobi woman whose hope for a miracle was crushed in a church she sought refuge in.

The woman, a resident of Mukuru kwa Njenga, had her house closed by the landlord a few months ago because she was not able to pay her rent.

Heartbroken and dazed, she rushed to a local church to get some spiritual intervention and maybe, just maybe, some financial assistance.

Unfortunately, things did not turn out as she had expected as she was turned down. However, what would be a humiliating moment turned out to be the breakthrough that Moraa had sought from the man of God.

She ran ‘straight’ into the hands of a police officer, not by choice, but from sheer luck after her predicament was shared online.  

With an amplification of her woes by Corporal Sammy Ondimu, Moraa is now among the pioneer homeowners of the Affordable Housing Program.  

Formerly homeless, she has been made a forerunner of Kenya’s Affordable Housing Program, after receiving a house through the government-backed initiative.

The Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development made home ownership a reality for the lady who was thrown out of a rental house due to rent arrears.

Moraa, who previously struggled with housing challenges including congestion in her small shanty house in Mukuru Kwa Njenga will now move into a spacious unit, promised amenities, conducive and secure environment, thanks to a collaborative effort led by Corporal Ondimu and the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.

At a press conference organized, Moraa expressed gratitude for the opportunity, “I thank God for this chance and for those who have supported me,” she said.

Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome said the Affordable Housing Programme aims to address Kenya’s housing crisis by delivering 200,000 units annually.

According to Wahome, 1,080 units in Mukuru Kwa Reuben will be ready for allocation in the next two months, with a total of 4,800 units set for completion across various projects by March.

She said Moraa will be the first beneficiary of the project. The CS emphasised that the programme is designed to cater for both low-income earners and people of higher status, a scope that will include every single social class in the country.

“This initiative is set to favour every single Kenyan, it is a project meant for us,” the CS said.

Wahome reassured Kenyans that strict measures are in place to ensure that the houses go to deserving individuals.

“With plans to expand the programme to every corner of the country, the government remains committed to its goal of constructing one million housing units over the next five years, a move expected to significantly reduce slum populations and improve living conditions,” the CS said.

Wahome said the initiative’s goal is to eradicate slums and not to upgrade them.