• Ruto said this is because over 60 per cent of Kenyans living in urban areas are from informal settlements.
• He went on to say that with these people there, climate change continues to pose many threats against their lives.
President William Ruto has said that he will stop at nothing to get Kenyans out of informal settlements. https://rb.gy/cclkt0
Image: PCS
President William Ruto has said that he will stop at nothing to get Kenyans out of informal settlements.
President Ruto said this is because over 60 per cent of Kenyans living in urban areas are from informal settlements.
Ruto was speaking on Tuesday during the launch of the second Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP).
The President went on to say that with these people there, climate change continues to pose many threats against their lives.
"Climate change will continue to pose mounting challenges to our development and serious threats to human health and safety, especially in urban areas where 60 per cent of residents live in informal settlements," Ruto said.
"I say this 60 per cent with a very heavy heart because informal settlements are very unhygienic, very indecent livelihoods where Kenyans live and we must do whatever it takes, using the resources we have," he said.
Ruto insisted that there are enough resources to ensure the over seven million Kenyans in informal settlements live decent lives and in decent places.
Ruto noted that through KUSP they can be able to plan better and organise the informal settlements into decent places.
"The resources we have under KUSP will help us do planning, these resources will help us deal with storm water, sewage, lighting, titling and organising our informal settlements and our housing plan will help us have decent homes for these Kenyans.
"We have close to seven million Kenyans living in informal settlements and they deserve our attention," he added.
Ruto noted that the ongoing floods due to the abnormally high rainfall have underscored the urgent need for the issue of housing in informal settlements to be addressed.
He said they need to be addressed with very particular and specific attention.
Spearheaded by the government with support from the World Bank, KUSP is strategically designed to fortify urban institutions' capacities, thereby enhancing the delivery and resilience of urban infrastructure and services.
It also aims to catalyse greater private sector engagement in urban planning processes, amplifying the program's impact on sustainable urban growth.
One of the key focal points of KUSP2 is its commitment to supporting the transition of refugee camps into integrated host communities and refugee settlements.