One Million Kenyans Sign Up on Boma Yangu as Housing Plan Gains Momentum

Registrations on the government’s Boma Yangu housing platform have exceeded one million, marking a major milestone in Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme.

The achievement reflects strong demand for affordable homes and growing participation in the state-backed initiative, which is a core component of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda. The State Department for Housing says the registrations demonstrate increased public confidence in the programme’s delivery model.

More than 262,000 housing units are currently under construction across 111 constituencies in all 47 counties. Despite this scale, officials note that demand continues to exceed supply as the government works to speed up construction.

Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga described the milestone as a turning point for the programme. He said that reaching one million registrations shows that many Kenyans are actively saving towards homeownership through the Boma Yangu platform and are willing to commit to long-term housing plans.

Recent project completions have been presented as evidence of progress. In December, the Mukuru Affordable Housing Project handed over 4,500 homes, building on more than 1,000 units delivered in its first year. Hinga compared this pace with earlier housing developments such as Buruburu, where about 5,000 homes took 15 years to complete.

The Mukuru project has been developed as a mixed-use estate, including a shopping centre, a Level Four hospital and integrated education facilities. This approach reflects a shift towards planning complete urban communities rather than focusing solely on residential units.

The Affordable Housing Programme is designed to serve different income groups. It includes social housing for households earning up to Sh20,000 a month, alongside affordable and market-rate units aimed at middle- and higher-income earners. The structure is intended to promote inclusion while addressing the country’s long-standing housing shortage.

The initiative has also become a significant source of employment. Government figures show that more than 428,000 people are currently working full-time on construction sites, with a further one million engaged in supplying building materials and related services.

Central to the programme is the Boma Yangu digital platform, which allows users to save for housing, access financing options such as mortgages and the National Tenant Purchase Scheme, and take part in the allocation process. The system is available through USSD, mobile web and standard web portals to ensure wide access.

The government has set a target of delivering 200,000 affordable homes each year.