Tenants at the New Mukuru Boma Yangu Estate in Nairobi’s Embakasi South are voicing frustration over severe challenges, including non-functional lifts, undelivered furniture, unreliable water supply, weak security, and locked-out residents.
Launched on May 20, 2025, by President William Ruto as Kenya’s largest affordable housing project with 13,248 units, the estate aimed to transform slum living through the Boma Yangu initiative.
However, these issues, particularly the non-functional lifts crisis, have sparked outrage among residents, who pay KSh 3,900 monthly for units, raising questions about the Affordable Housing Programme’s (AHP) implementation and oversight.
The Mukuru estate, built on 56 acres of reclaimed public land, was celebrated as a milestone in Ruto’s plan to deliver 200,000 housing units annually.
Yet, tenants report that lifts in several blocks have been inoperative since occupancy began, forcing residents, including elderly and disabled individuals, to climb multiple floors.
“We pay KSh 3,000 in service charges, but the lifts don’t work. How is this affordable living?” resident Richard Mauko told Citizen TV. The promised furniture, including double-decker beds with heavy-duty mattresses, has not been delivered to many, despite government assurances.
Mauko, a former slum dweller, noted that while his bedsitter offers water, electricity, and gas, the lack of furniture undermines the estate’s promise of dignity.
Compounding these issues, some approved tenants remain locked out of their allocated units, which were used as showrooms during the estate’s high-profile launch.
Jane, a resident who withheld her surname, told Nation that despite registering via the Boma Yangu platform and receiving an allocation number, she was denied access.
“I followed every step, but my unit was a showroom, and now I’m back in the slums,” she said, questioning the allocation process’s transparency. The Boma Yangu portal, accessible via *832# or bomayangu.go.ke, has registered over 689,000 applicants, but complaints of mismanagement persist, with some alleging favouritism in unit distribution.
Water supply issues further plague the estate. Residents report persistent shortages, despite claims of improved infrastructure. Bibiana Wambua, a grandmother and tenant, praised the estate’s electricity and security for schoolchildren but noted that piped water is inconsistent, forcing reliance on costly alternatives.
“We were promised clean water, but it’s not reliable,” she said. Weak security is another concern, with non-functional CCTV cameras leaving the estate vulnerable.
Residents claim the recent transfer to a new management team has not addressed these issues, with monthly maintenance fees of KSh 3,000 yielding little improvement. “Where is the KSh 4.1 million collected monthly going?” a tenant asked TUKO.co.ke.
The estate’s challenges reflect broader issues with Kenya’s AHP. While Ruto hailed the project’s Sh11 billion investment and Sh28 billion economic ripple effect, critics argue that poor infrastructure and mismanagement undermine its goals.
The Eastleigh Voice reported that the Mukuru Community Justice Centre condemned alleged forced evictions during construction, and an environmental tribunal halted a similar project in Lang’ata over flawed assessments.
On X, sentiments are mixed, with one user posting, “Mukuru Boma Yangu estate’s non-functional lifts and water issues show the government rushed this project.” Another wrote, “Ruto’s housing dream is crumbling, fix the basics first!”
The AHP, part of the Big Four Agenda since 2017, offers units from KSh 640,000 for studios to KSh 3.6 million for three-bedroom homes, with a rent-to-own scheme capped at KSh 7,000 monthly.
Despite 1,189 units completed and 139,703 under construction, implementation gaps persist. The Star reported that residents like Agoso Simon, a former casual labourer, value the security but demand better oversight.
The government, through Housing PS Charles Hinga, is integrating Boma Yangu with the eCitizen platform to improve transparency, but rural access and digital literacy remain hurdles.
As Kenya pushes for 500,000 new homeowners, addressing Mukuru’s water, security, and management issues is critical to restoring trust in the AHP.
