President William Ruto has defended the government's Affordable Housing program against criticism that the new high-rise units are just but 'vertical slums'.
An animated Ruto spoke on Tuesday, May 20, during the handover ceremony of 1,080 completed housing units at the Mukuru Meteorological Site in Nairobi County, where he dismissed the notion that his housing projects will not benefit Kenyans who are struggling economically. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a vertical slum," Ruto said, adding, "There's a misguided tendency to equate density with deprivation.
A slum is not defined by population size, but by the absence of services, safety, and dignity." During the groundbreaking ceremony, Ruto led Mukuru residents in song and dance as he promised that the homes would come with critical infrastructure to ensure a decent standards of living for low-income Kenyans.
President William Ruto during the commissioning of the Mukuru Phase I Affordable Housing.
