Kenya’s population is growing rapidly at an estimated annual rate of 2.7 percent as of 2017. The population is projected to increase from 46.6 million in 2017 to reach 50.8 million by 2022 thereby exerting pressure on agricultural land and available resources. Despite gains in devolution, there has been continued rural-urban migration in search of perceived better economic opportunities in the urban areas. The current proportion of urban population to the total population stands at 31.8% as of 2017. The increased urbanization has brought challenges to the provision of adequate and affordable housing as well as associated infrastructure facilities, water, and sanitation facilities.

This Plan builds on the priority areas of MTP II to manage population growth, bridge the housing supply gap, and improve urban management. During this Plan period, the Sector has identified the following program and projects for implementation: Population Management, Population and Housing Census, Research on Emerging Population Issues, Planning and Development of Urban Infrastructure, and Safety and Quality Audit of Buildings. In addition, it will facilitate the delivery of at least 500,000 housing units through various initiatives, Research and Development on Appropriate Building Materials and Technologies and Slum Improvement Programmes.