The government is working with the private sector to build over 13,000 housing units for officers in the Kenya Defence Forces, President William Ruto has said.
In the first phase, the President announced, 3,069 housing units are under construction at military camps in Roysambu, Nanyuki, Gilgil, Lanet and Mariakani, and which will be completed by June 2026.
In Phase Two, he said a further 10,000 units will be built in other military barracks across the country.
He explained that this significantly improves the welfare of servicemen and women, demonstrating that dignity is a right, not a privilege.
“For a very long time, we normalised mediocrity. It was okay for officers to stay in small rooms with no toilets, in iron sheet houses and some in tents,” he said.
Adding: “There is no time in independent Kenya that military personnel have been housed the way we are doing today. We are making history.”
President Ruto spoke during the commissioning of the Roysambu Military Camp Housing Project in Nairobi County, a 500-unit development that will provide modern and dignified accommodation for military officers and their families.
He also laid the foundation stone for phase two of the Roysambu Military Camp Housing Project.
The President said the government is leveraging public-private partnerships to deliver decent housing units for military officers.
He noted it was not possible for the government to fund housing for over 60,000 military officers as was the case in the past when the numbers were less.
“As the numbers grow, we have to be innovative and creative,” President Ruto said.
The President pointed out that most of the KSh7 billion used to build the first 3,000 units in the project was sourced from the capital markets.
“Of the KSh23 billion we are going to invest in building the 10,000 units, 80 per cent will be from the capital market,” he explained.
The President said the government is keen on improving the welfare of military personnel to ensure they continue securing the nation.
He said the military has been instrumental in the delivery of key projects in the country, citing the Talanta Stadium in Nairobi.
The President said the government is using the PPP model to fast-track the country’s transformation, citing the construction of roads and dams.
In the next seven years, he explained, KSh1.5 trillion will be required to construct dams to bring over 2.5 million acres of land under irrigation to strengthen the country’s food security.
“At the same time, we will build 28,000km of roads to open up Kenya for business,” he said.
Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya commended the President for continuously enhancing the welfare of military personnel.
She cited the KDF salary increase and the provision of housing, saying they have gone a long way in focusing on their mandate of securing the nation’s territorial integrity.
“Investment in dignified living conditions is an investment in national security by all means,” she said.
Chief of Defence Forces Charles Kahariri said the construction of military housing units will strengthen families, enhance morale and therefore reinforce soldiers’ ability to serve the nation with confidence and focus.
