Kenya’s Affordable Housing Agenda Receives Support from Saint-Gobain

Saint-Gobain, a world leader in the construction markets, during the Institute of Quantity Surveyors of Kenya (IQSK) in Mombasa annual summit reaffirmed its commitment to support President Uhuru’s Big Four Agenda of affordable housing.

Saint-Gobain strongly believes that access to dignified housing is a matter of human right. The state is looking to add 500,000 houses between 2017 and 2022, which aligns itself with the country’s constitution and the Global Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations.

This comes at a time when the country already has more than 26 percent of its citizens living in cities, which has driven the urban population to a growth rate of 4.2 percent every year. At this level, the pressure on the housing market is unbearable. For example, Nairobi requires at least 132,000 new housing units annually to keep pace with its expanding population. Yet only 50,000 homes are built, creating a growing housing deficit of 82,000 units per year.

This situation has contributed to the development of large informal markets. It is said that 61 percent of urban households in Kenya live in undignified settlements of which 70-80 percent in rental units. This is what the Big Four Agenda seeks to mitigate.

Sachin Ramkasoon, Saint-Gobain Business Development Director for East Africa, said that Saint-Gobain has a key role to play in supporting Kenya’s urban transformation.

“Our building solutions aim to improve people’s daily life by providing quality and decent housing for all. In Kenya, we continuously develop and adapt our portfolio to the market needs and offer solutions combining affordability, comfort, and sustainability,” Ramkasoon said.

He also added that the group aims to provide adequate solutions to improve living conditions while respecting the affordability brackets of the population.

The group aims to support the housing agenda by guaranteeing quality, safety, and security; ensuring comfort and energy efficiency; and speeding up the construction progress.

“Kenya’s affordable housing strategy can only be successfully implemented with the participation of the entire construction industry. At Saint-Gobain, we provide Kenyan professionals with the necessary technical skills for the installation of ceilings, drywalling, and insulation. Almost 500 local contractors have already been trained in East Africa. That is a good start. Through our training offering, we are convinced it is helping the sector as a whole and contribute to the improvement of the quality and safety of buildings”, concluded Ramkasoon.