The increase in population in Kiambu County has not been directly proportional to the development of housing units, which has brought about a challenge in housing.
Going by the population census figures of 2019, Kiambu’s population now stands at more than 2.4 million, making it the most populous town in the country after Nairobi.
The low number of residential units, which is currently at 796,241 in comparison to the total population, depicts a high demand for affordable and adequate housing whose supply is insufficient.
Director of Housing in Kiambu County Charles Kiarie has confirmed that plans are underway to accommodate the rise in population.
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Further, Kiarie revealed that the County has built a total of 130 houses within the past five years for civil servants working in the police and prisons services in a bid to accommodate the staff, whose number has also increased.
“The county government of Kiambu has heeded the call for housing and has also partnered with private developers to construct additional housing units,” he said.
One such partnership, he mentioned, was with Technofin Kenya Limited which is planning to construct 2,000 affordable housing units in Juja and Ruiru towns.
In January, 2023, President William Ruto launched the Affordable Housing Project in
Ruiru, Kiambu is set to deliver 1,050 housing units to accommodate about 20 000 people.
“The government project was put up in order to alleviate a housing deficit and also to boost the local economy. The private sector has also come in handy to help alleviate the challenge of housing in Kiambu County,” Kiarie said.
Kiambu is a dormitory zone to the overstretched Nairobi County. Many of its inhabitants prefer to seek accommodation in the urban centers located within Kiambu and therefore commute to Nairobi daily.
This, however, has spelt a boom to Kiambu’s property prices and residential investments over the years but also made it expensive for prospective tennts to get residential houses which are scarce.
