Nairobi pushes bold urban renewal plan to tackle housing shortage

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has repeatedly underscored the urgent need to accommodate the city’s fast-growing population, which now swells to 7 million people during the day and about 5 million at night.

With 13 county estates still occupied by single-dwelling houses sitting on prime land, the county is moving to redevelop them into modern, high-density apartments.

According to Housing and Urban Renewal Chief Officer Lydia Mathia, the transformation is inevitable.

“When these estates were developed, Nairobi had fewer than one million people. Today we have 7 million during the day and 5 million at night. By 2050, that number will reach 10 million. Where will all these people live?” she posed.

Under the Nairobi Urban Renewal Project, old low-density estates will be replaced with high-rise apartments capable of housing thousands of families. At Woodley Estate, for example, 43 aging units that once housed fewer than 100 residents are being redeveloped into 1,975 modern apartments.

Each tenant has been compensated with KSh 900,000 to facilitate relocation for the two- to three-year construction period and issued an allotment letter guaranteeing them a new unit once the project is complete.

Mathia said the renewal plan goes beyond infrastructure—it is about restoring dignity.

“Slums are expanding because our estates no longer meet Nairobi’s housing demand. This renewal is both a moral obligation and a sacred calling. Anyone opposing it is standing in the way of the future.”

She acknowledged resistance from some families who have lived in county houses for generations and feel entitled to them but urged residents to look at the bigger picture.

“If your generation has benefited, is it not fair to think of the future too? From a single house, thousands of families can now live in dignity.”

The county has assured tenants that they will be the first to be allocated homes once construction is complete.

“Governor Sakaja’s vision is to dignify as many informal settlements as possible and give Nairobians a chance to live better. Seeing these 13 estates reborn will be my greatest joy,” Mathia added.

The estates earmarked for redevelopment include Woodley, Bahati, Maringo, Jericho, Lumumba, Ziwani, Bondeni, Kariobangi, and Embakasi. Once complete, the project is expected to reshape the city’s housing landscape—turning scarcity into opportunity and transforming slums into vibrant, livable communities.