Kenya's Busia Boma Yangu estate takes shape with more than 2,000 housing units

The Busia ATC Estate affordable housing project is taking shape as the Kenyan government advances the construction of more than 2,000 housing units under the Boma Yangu Affordable Housing Programme.

In a statement issued on Sunday, September 27, Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo said the project is being implemented in two phases on a 10.5-acre site and will provide homes for social, affordable and market-rate homebuyers while supporting economic activity in Busia Town.

Phase I of the project is currently 25 per cent complete and consists of 11 residential blocks containing 1,025 housing units. Phase II has reached 18 per cent completion and will provide an additional 1,026 units once finished, bringing the total across the two phases to more than 2,000.

"The Affordable Housing Program (AHP) remains one of the Government's strategic interventions for creating sustainable jobs and expanding economic opportunities for thousands of Kenyans, particularly the youth," Omollo said, adding that the development "is reshaping the urban appearance of Busia Town while stimulating economic activity across the region".

Omollo said the economic impact extends beyond the construction site, with local workers, artisans and businesses participating in the supply and delivery of various components. "The project is creating jobs and business opportunities throughout the construction value chain. Local youth and women have secured employment on-site, while Jua Kali artisans are supplying key components," he said.

The same statement noted that more than 5,000 traders displaced to allow for construction of the modern Gikomba Market are expected to return to trading spaces as the first phase of that project nears completion. That phase, which began in April, is targeted for completion by October 15, 2026, and the redeveloped market is to include lifts, parking facilities, a police station and a new fire-fighting system.