MP calls for govt to build bungalows as affordable houses for pastoral communities
By Ascah Mwango, August 14, 2025Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga has asked the government to consider building bungalows as affordable housing in pastoral and arid areas such as Turkana, Wajir, Mandera and Garissa, saying the cultures of communities in those regions do not support living in high-rise buildings.
Speaking during a parliamentary session on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Chepkonga said tall apartment blocks would likely remain unoccupied beyond the ground floor in such areas, as residents prefer single-level homes that align with their traditions and way of life.
“Some people’s culture cannot allow them to live in skyscrapers. If you build a huge apartment in Turkana, the ground floor will be occupied. The other floors will remain empty,” he said.
The MP urged the government to take cultural differences into account when implementing the Affordable Housing Programme, noting that the model that works in urban centres like Nairobi might not be suitable for all parts of the country.
“We have found that this country has people of different cultures, which will be considered as affordable housing in Nairobi and other towns, where you build high skyscrapers. In places like Turkana, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, affordable houses that can be built there are bungalows, and there is sufficient land there,” he added.
Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme is part of the government’s plan to deliver at least 200,000 housing units annually. So far, more than 135,000 units are in progress across 45 counties, with projects in Nairobi’s Park Road, Pangani, Starehe, Shauri Moyo, and Mukuru areas, as well as Mombasa’s Buxton estate and Nakuru’s Bondeni estate.
Other developments include the Mavoko housing project in Machakos County, which is set to deliver over 5,000 units, and ongoing construction in Uasin Gishu, where estates like Kidiwa and Pioneer are being redeveloped. The programme also works through the Boma Yangu portal, which helps Kenyans register, save, and access mortgages for the units.
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