Residents welcome President Ruto’s plan to elevate Elburgon to city status

Residents of Elburgon Town in Molo, Nakuru County have welcomed President William Ruto’s pledge to transform the town into a city, following the launch of the Boma Yangu Michinda Social Housing Project.

The President on Monday laid the foundation stone for the mega housing project, which will deliver 2,680 housing units to more than 9,300 prospective homeowners, boosting livelihoods within the heart of the agriculturally rich community.

“We are working with county governments to ensure that every Kenyan has access to a dignified living space where they can live, work and trade,” said President Ruto. “We are keen to deliver our promise and are currently implementing the Affordable Housing Programme in 111 constituencies across the country.”

Residents expressed optimism that the project will spur growth and urbanization in Elburgon, creating jobs and promoting home ownership among the working population.

The mixed-use development will comprise 680 one-room units, 1,330 two-room units, and 670 three-room units, along with 35 retail shops. The gated estate will also feature green spaces, a children’s playground, underground water storage, classrooms, school dormitories, offices, a service building, and paved parking areas.

At the same time, President Ruto also launched construction of 382 housing units in Marigat Town, Baringo County, on Tuesday afternoon.

“This programme is a key pillar of the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA). In Marigat, we have already engaged more than 80 local workers on-site, with numbers expected to rise as the project progresses. We have also reserved contracts for door, window, and fitting fabrication for local Jua Kali artisans, injecting millions of shillings into the informal economy,” the President noted.

Developed on a 4.45-acre parcel, the Marigat project features studio, one-, two-, and three-room units under the social housing typology; two- and three-bedroom units under the affordable housing category; and two- and three-bedroom units under the market typology.

Key amenities will include a kindergarten, clubhouse, social hall, commercial stalls, borehole, pump houses, power reticulation, street lighting, paved parking, and green spaces.

Both the Elburgon and Marigat developments incorporate inclusive design features to ensure barrier-free access for women, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. They also integrate energy-efficient systems, rainwater harvesting, and native landscaping to enhance climate resilience and sustainability.