Diaspora Concerns Lead to Special Housing Plan for Elderly Kenyans

The Kenyan government plans to build specialised housing units for elderly people under the Affordable Housing Programme, with facilities including healthcare services, in response to concerns from Kenyans living abroad about the welfare of their ageing parents.

Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga announced the plan during a meeting with Kenyans in New York. He said the developments would be designed to provide older residents with access to essential services, including nurses and doctors.

Hinga said Kenyans in the diaspora had previously raised concerns about how to care for their ageing parents in Kenya. The proposed housing would provide older people with safer settlements and better access to healthcare.

The initiative reflects the growing role of the Kenyan diaspora in shaping domestic policy priorities. For many Kenyans living abroad, finding safe and suitable housing for ageing parents has become increasingly important as urbanisation and the rising cost of care place pressure on traditional family support systems.

However, the proposal comes as the wider Affordable Housing Programme faces financial and implementation challenges. A recent report by the Parliamentary Budget Office found that more than 176 projects had stalled because of delayed payments to contractors. Sixteen of the affected projects were affordable housing schemes.

The report estimated the funding gap at Ksh118.3 billion. This comes despite the government collecting Ksh205.7 billion through the housing levy since 2023, raising questions about the pace of project implementation and management of available funds.

The government is also reviewing the prices of housing units, with new rates expected to be announced on 1 October. The revised prices could affect affordability and demand, particularly among lower- and middle-income households targeted by the programme.

President William Ruto has made the Affordable Housing Programme a central part of his administration's development agenda. The government has presented the programme as a means of creating jobs, supporting infrastructure investment and expanding home ownership.