Iten skyline transforms as Affordable Housing Project hits 57pc completion
NAIROBI, Kenya, April 27 – The high-altitude town of Iten, globally renowned as the “Home of Champions,” is witnessing the rapid ascent of the Iten Affordable Housing Project.
The project, whose progress is at 57 per cent complete, promises to reshape the local economy and solve a perennial housing shortage for citizens in Elgeyo Marakwet County.
The development, a flagship initiative under the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, consists of four blocks of apartments.
According to the project’s Clerk of Works, Ian Wanga, the development is entering its critical home stretch. “We are at 57 per cent physical progress against a 75 per cent time elapsed,” he noted, highlighting the push to align construction milestones with the project’s timeline.
The construction site has become a major hub for regional employment. “On average, labour mobilisation hits numbers of 150, but currently, we are at 100,” Wanga explains.
This workforce is composed entirely of diverse technical talent, including masons, carpenters and steel fixers.
Local resident Sharon Cherono says she has benefited from working at the site, being able to meet her daily needs and many more. “The money I get here has enabled me to further my qualifications in mechanical engineering and also to pay for my child’s school fees,” she added.
“We have incorporated the Jua Kali sector, the locals from Iten and through the Youth Empowerment Program, they are able to be engaged in the project,” Mr. Wanga shared.
In a previous State of the Nation Address, President William Ruto highlighted the wide range of professionals benefiting from the Affordable Housing Programme, including architects, engineers, plumbers, electricians, carpenters, masons, steelworkers, transporters and thousands of MSMEs engaged in fittings, fabrication and interior works.
“This programme is a national empowerment engine designed to formalise the informal sector and revitalise Medium and Small Enterprises,” he reiterated.
By sourcing artisans from the immediate community, the project ensures that the investment circulates within the Elgeyo ecosystem.
The project is designed to elevate the standard of living for Iten’s residents. The Clerk of Works emphasised that the project offers “better ways of living,” citing well-accommodated, self-contained units and a reliable supply of water as primary benefits that will modernise the town’s profile.