The government is seeking financial support from international partners, including the World Bank and the European Union, to remove asbestos roofing linked to cancer from homes nationwide.
The move comes after Cabinet approval to replace old asbestos roofs with modern, eco-friendly materials.
Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga said the initiative is too costly for the government to handle alone and requires specialist expertise.
“As a nation, we have determined that we are going to remove asbestos, but the main issue is that it is very expensive. It is not just like iron sheets where you can just decide to remove them today; Asbestos can only be removed by experts who know how to do it, and NEMA is leading the process,” he said. “Removing cancer-linked asbestos roofs requires huge funding and special handling, and we are engaging international financiers to provide the support.”
Under the State Department for Housing, more than 120,000 housing units need asbestos removal, Hinga noted, highlighting the scale and complexity of the exercise.
Speaking at Naivasha Boarding Primary during a tree planting event, he reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering affordable housing.
Hinga said over 257,000 housing units are currently under construction nationwide, employing more than 300,000 workers each day. In addition, 147,000 student accommodation units are being built to tackle housing shortages in learning institutions.
“The housing programme seeks to restore dignity and provide clean homes for more than seven million Kenyans currently living in informal settlements,” Hinga said.
He added that housing is a global challenge, pointing out that 1.6 billion people live in slums worldwide, and noted that Kenya is making significant strides in affordable housing, supported by the monthly housing levy.
The PS also addressed the politicisation of the housing programme, saying the initiative has received recognition from African and international leaders for its positive impact.
Beyond housing, Hinga emphasized the government’s efforts to address climate change, citing recent prolonged droughts and heavy rainfall that have led to deaths and property damage.
During the event, he led students and officials in planting over 1,000 trees and welcomed President William Ruto’s directive to set up 300 tree-growing sites, supported by the Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Wildlife Service, to supply seedlings for the 15-billion-tree initiative targeted for 2032.