Affordable Housing Programme passes 262,000 units as new land rates take effect
The programme now spans all 47 counties, while Nairobi's revised land rate structure came into force in January.
Kenya's Affordable Housing Programme has surpassed 1.1 million registered users, with more than 262,913 units under development across 111 constituencies in all 47 counties.
The programme is structured in income bands: social housing for those earning up to KES 20,000 a month, affordable housing for the KES 20,000-149,000 range, and affordable market housing above KES 150,000. Its legal basis is the Affordable Housing Act 2024, which established the Affordable Housing Fund covering design, development and maintenance alongside supporting infrastructure.
On the revenue side, the National Rating Act 2024 provides the framework for counties to levy rates on land and buildings. Nairobi's revised structure took effect in January, with flat-rate zone charges ranging from about KES 2,560 for parcels up to 0.1 hectares to KES 4,800 for parcels above 0.4 hectares annually.
Land rates matter more than their size suggests: they are Nairobi's largest own-source revenue line, accounting for roughly 25% of county collections. Owners should budget for these changes as a standing cost rather than a one-off adjustment.
