Nairobi, 9 April 2026: H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya, officially opened the Second Session of the Africa Urban Forum (AUF2) at the KICC in Nairobi.
The President underscored Kenya’s pride as one of the leading African nations implementing the Affordable Housing Programme, noting that more than 270,000 affordable housing units are being built across over 200 sites nationwide. He highlighted that these projects have created over 640,000 jobs, expanded access to home ownership, restored dignity by addressing informal settlements, and curbed land fragmentation to protect agricultural land.
The Head of State called on African governments to provide strong political leadership at the highest level and to develop effective mechanisms for mobilizing resources at scale. He noted that Kenya has achieved this by raising local financing through the housing levy, thereby reducing reliance on debt.
Also participating in the event was H.E. Amb. Nakhumicha Wafula, E.G.H., Kenya’s Permanent Representative to UN-Habitat. The three-day event, which started yesterday, 8 April 2026, has drawn representation from 40 ministers from African countries in charge of housing, the Executive Director of UN-Habitat, as well as several development partners.The Forum provides a platform for sharing best practices in providing affordable housing to citizens and promoting sustainable urbanization across the continent.
