Ruto extends Kibera housing registration, vows slum eradication

President William Ruto has extended the resident registration exercise for the Soweto C and D Affordable Housing Project in Kibera by two days, saying more time is needed to ensure no one is left out.

The enumeration was scheduled to end on Saturday, but will now continue through the weekend.

"This exercise was to end Saturday, but I have been informed there are still a lot of people left out, so I have directed that it should continue for the next two days until everyone is captured," Ruto said.

More than 11,000 residents have already been registered and issued with Makao Bora cards, which will serve as proof of enumeration during the allocation of houses once the project is complete.

Ruto made the announcement on Friday while inspecting the ongoing Soweto B housing project, which began in October 2022.

The development, consisting of 4,054 housing units, is expected to be completed by January 2026.

"I will put pressure on the contractor so that by next year, I relocate the people into these new houses," he added.

The President said construction of the Soweto C and D phases will begin soon and create more jobs for local youth.

He maintained that the government’s plan is not to upgrade Kibera slum but to completely transform it.

"We are not going to do slum upgrading here, we are going to do slum eradication," he said.

Ruto was accompanied by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, Langata MP Phelix Odiwuor, and other leaders during the visit.

Soweto B is part of several affordable housing projects underway across the country, with more than 112,000 units at different stages.

The project includes 18 blocks and will have supporting infrastructure and amenities.