The era of empty promises on African housing is over. That was the message delivered at the Second Africa Urban Forum in Nairobi this week, as Kenya's Head of State joined global leaders to declare that the continent's future will be built in concrete, not conversation.

H.E. Dr. William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, said affordable housing is no longer a policy dream but a daily reality unfolding across the nation. From the shores of Lake Victoria to the Rift Valley, he argued, Kenya has become a live construction site.

"Affordable housing is not about houses, but people," President Ruto said. "Don't focus on political ambition but on the future of generations. It has to take political leadership, not done at the ministry level. Resources are needed."

The declaration was reinforced by Mr. Thierno Habib Hann, Managing Director of Shelter Afrique Development Bank, who pointed to Kenya as a continental benchmark. "Today, Kenya is a construction site, Nakuru, Kisumu, Homabay, Machakos, Kakamega, and others," he said. "Today, housing is not a talk but a reality. The history of Africa will be written on the commitments made and the houses built, not talks."

International partners echoed that message. Mr. Anar Guliyev, Chairperson of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan and National Coordinator for WUF 13, praised Kenya's housing momentum and said housing is more than shelter because it delivers dignity and stability.

Delivering a keynote address, H.E. Ms. Anaclaudia Rossbach, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat, described Africa's urban transition as both the greatest challenge and the greatest opportunity of this generation. She warned that by 2050, six out of ten Africans will live in urban areas, even as millions still lack adequate shelter.

Rossbach urged African countries to place housing and the transformation of informal settlements at the centre of national development agendas, strengthen institutions for long-term change, and learn from solutions already emerging across the continent. She said governments, civil society, and the private sector must work together to scale what is already proving effective.

In a moment of recognition, Rossbach praised Kenya's leadership on the global housing stage, noting the country's role as Co-Chair of the Open-Ended Working Group on Housing and as a champion of the Call for Action on Adequate Housing for All. She said Kenya's proposals are helping shape global housing politics ahead of the next World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, from May 17 to May 22, 2026.

H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, also placed housing at the heart of Agenda 2063, saying political goodwill is essential to urban development, accessibility, stability, dignity, and sustainable growth. Kenya's Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Alice Wahome, added that housing now connects labour, financiers, industries, developers, and communities through a deliberately built ecosystem.

President Ruto also set out Kenya's financing approach, saying the country has not relied on new World Bank borrowing to drive its housing programme. Instead, he said, Kenya is mobilising local institutions and using mature assets to unlock multiple new developments. "We have innovative financing models, no borrowing but managing our assets," he said. "We dispose of one mature asset and replace it with four or more developments."

Among the most consequential announcements was the commitment to expand social housing with no upfront deposit and more affordable mortgages. Ruto said the goal is to give dignity to people who need housing most, while linking housing to wider national infrastructure through a new National Infrastructure Fund.

As the forum closed its opening day, one message echoed through the halls of Nairobi: Africa is no longer talking about housing. Africa is building it. With Kenya leading by example and institutions such as the African Union, UN-Habitat, and Shelter Afrique pushing the agenda, the continent is preparing to carry that housing message to the world in Baku next month.

The Second Africa Urban Forum continues over the next three days, with delegations expected to visit ongoing housing projects in Nakuru and Machakos as Kenya seeks to show that its housing drive is no longer rhetoric, but visible reality.

Africa's cities are poised to absorb millions of new residents in the coming decades, but whether that transformation becomes a story of prosperity or crisis depends entirely on decisions made today, Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Hon. Musalia Mudavadi has declared.

Speaking at the official opening of the Second Session of the African Urban Forum (AUF2) at Nairobi's Tsavo Ballroom, Mudavadi delivered a keynote statement that resonated across the packed hall of African ministers, development financiers, and urban experts.

Delivering a stark but hopeful message, Mudavadi painted a vivid picture of the demographic tide sweeping the continent. "Our cities will absorb millions of new residents in the years ahead," he told delegates. "The Future of Urbanisation Will Be Determined by Today's Decisions. We cannot afford to be reactive. We must be intentional, strategic, and bold."

The Prime Cabinet Secretary, who also serves as Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, emphasised that urbanisation, when properly managed, is not a challenge to be feared but an opportunity to be seized.

Mudavadi made a powerful case for viewing housing not merely as a social good but as a fundamental driver of economic activity. "Housing can stimulate industry, development, and employment," he stated. "Every housing unit built creates jobs, from manufacturing and logistics to finance and professional services. The multiplier effect is immense. When we invest in housing, we invest in our people and our productive capacity."

This message aligned closely with Kenya's own Affordable Housing Program, which has sought to leverage public-private partnerships to deliver units while creating thousands of construction and supply-chain jobs across the country.

He also outlined a vision of African cities as innovation hubs rather than congestion zones. "Well planned cities can drive innovation, markets, and social facilities," he said. "When we design our urban spaces thoughtfully, with mixed use zones, efficient transport corridors, digital infrastructure, and green public spaces, we create environments where ideas collide, businesses grow, and communities thrive."

Mudavadi contrasted that vision with the risks of unplanned sprawl, crippling congestion, inadequate services, and deepening inequality. "That future is not inevitable," he insisted. "But avoiding it requires courage, coordination, and capital."

His remarks served as both a warning and an invitation for African nations to collaborate on solutions. "No single country can solve its urban challenges alone," he noted. "That is precisely why this forum matters. It is where we align our policies, share our lessons, and mobilize our collective resources."

Mudavadi concluded with a direct appeal to ministers, mayors, and financiers in attendance: "Let us leave Nairobi not with more promises, but with more pipelines, projects that are financed, implemented, and measured. The people of Africa are watching. Their hope is urban. Let us not disappoint them."

The Second Africa Urban Forum (AUF2) officially opens tomorrow, April 8, 2026, in Nairobi, bringing together African leaders, cabinet ministers, development financiers, and youth representatives under high expectations for actionable outcomes on the continent's urban transformation.

With Africa experiencing the fastest urbanization rate in the world, stakeholders are looking to this three-day gathering to move beyond previous declarations and deliver concrete progress on affordable housing, innovative finance, technology-driven smart cities, climate resilience, and inclusive governance.

A central theme of the forum will be affordable housing and the mobilization of innovative financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships, climate finance, and blended models. Discussions will examine the role of development finance institutions in accelerating housing delivery, with national case studies such as Kenya's Affordable Housing Program serving as reference points.

Closely linked to this is the forum's focus on technology, artificial intelligence, and smart cities, where delegates will explore how digital innovation, data analytics, and integrated command centers can transform urban management across African cities of varying scales.

Climate resilience and sustainable urban development will also take center stage, with a high-level session dedicated to the launch of the AU Urban Resilience Report. Discussions will address water-responsive urbanism, the housing-climate nexus, and the alignment of urban strategies with continental and global climate frameworks, including preparations for COP31.

In parallel, corridor urban planning and infrastructure development will be examined through case studies on the Lobito and Northern Corridors, highlighting how regional integration can drive corridor-led urbanization and attract cross-border investment.

A significant and highly anticipated component of the forum is the dedicated youth parallel session, which will place young people at the center of the housing ecosystem. Youth leaders are expected to present concrete demands and homegrown solutions related to land access, housing finance, mentorship, and meaningful participation in urban policy and implementation.

Other high-level discussions will address urban displacement and migration, featuring country case studies and contributions from regional bodies such as IGAD and UNHCR, while a separate session on local and regional government will explore fiscal autonomy and city-level finance mobilization.

Development partners, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank, UN-Habitat, and the European Union, are actively engaged throughout the forum, with a special session focused on the Regional Readiness Programme (BCRUP) aimed at resource mobilization and private sector engagement across more than twenty African countries.

The forum is expected to conclude with the adoption of a ministerial declaration, which will serve as Africa's unified urban position ahead of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) later this year in Azerbaijan. The Second Africa Urban Forum opens tomorrow morning in Nairobi, with all eyes on whether this gathering will mark a true turning point from commitment to delivery.

Amref International University (AMIU) marked a transformative milestone today, celebrating its 6th Graduation Ceremony while officially inaugurating its ultra-modern Northlands Campus in Ruiru. The event, presided over by the Fourth President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta (represented by Former First Lady Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta), underscored AMIU's commitment to building a future-ready health workforce equipped to deliver sustainable, community-centered solutions across Africa.

The ceremony saw more than 400 graduates conferred with degrees, diplomas, and certificates across various health-related disciplines. Demonstrating a tangible commitment to advancing health education, H.E. Kenyatta awarded 10 fully funded scholarships to support bright, deserving students pursuing careers in health sciences. "This campus will be instrumental in equipping our communities with locally driven solutions. It is an affirmation of your commitment to localising innovation to strengthen primary health care across Africa," he stated, noting that advancing health education, innovation, advanced indigenous research, policy diversity, compassion, and new technologies is "now your responsibility."

The new Northlands Campus, hailed as a flagship investment in health sciences education, features cutting-edge learning spaces, modern laboratories, an innovation hub, and a world-class library. This development, made possible through significant philanthropic contributions, including a landmark gift from philanthropist Ms. MacKenzie Scott and sustained support from partners like the Kenyatta family, is set to dramatically increase AMIU's student capacity from 2,000 to 10,000 students across physical and virtual learning.

This expansion directly addresses the growing demand for health workforce training that reflects both local and international needs.

Speaking at the event under the theme "Localising Innovations to Strengthen Primary Health Care in Africa", Dr. Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO of Amref Health Africa, applauded AMIU for prioritising homegrown solutions to Africa's health challenges. "We cherish our alliances, global, regional, and local. It is through working together that we can develop sustainable, contextually relevant education models that shape the resilient health systems Africa needs," he emphasised.

Prof. Joachim Osur, Vice Chancellor of AMIU, further underscored the university's resolve to provide quality, affordable, and relevant education rooted in African realities: "We have strengthened our focus on community-based education, ensuring that learning is embedded in real-life practice and local health contexts."

The event, attended by senior government officials, development partners, university leadership, faculty, students, and alumni, signalled the beginning of a new chapter for AMIU as a regional hub for health education, research, and innovation. With the graduation of 417 students and the commissioning of the Northlands Campus, AMIU continues to drive significant progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).