In Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, the Affordable Housing Project is emerging as more than a housing development, with the initiative creating jobs, building skills and opening business opportunities for local youth while preparing homes for future residents.
Timothy Kemboi, a mason working on the Iten Affordable Housing Project since April last year, says the construction has provided him with steady income and transformed his livelihood.
Earning about Ksh 7,000 per week, Kemboi notes that the job has not only kept him consistently employed but has also benefited many other young people in the area.
With his earnings, Kemboi says he has leased two acres of farmland where he grows maize, invested in farm inputs such as fertiliser and hired two youths to assist him with spraying, weeding and guarding his crops.
In addition, he also praised the reliability of payments, saying workers are paid every Saturday without fail, a consistency that has been maintained since he joined the project.
Similarly, Kelvin Kiprop, a 23-year-old resident of Iten and a mason at the site, says the project has become a life-changing opportunity, offering him steady income while opening doors for greater ambitions.
He noted that the project has created employment opportunities for many young people in the area, helping reduce unemployment and providing a reliable source of income.
“It has helped me a lot by giving me my daily income, and it has also greatly helped many young people here in the area to get jobs,” Kiprop said.
He added that the wages he earns have improved his life significantly, describing the work as more rewarding than the livestock grazing he previously relied on.
According to him, the income from the construction site is more dependable, allowing him to plan for the future and support himself.
Adding that the project is the first of its kind in Iten, he says that it is expected to accelerate growth in the town by attracting visitors, investors and new businesses.
Kiprop also believes the modern housing units will inspire people from other regions to visit Iten and witness the transformation taking place, boosting the town’s profile as a growing urban centre.
He also expressed hope that one day he will own one of the houses being built under the programme.
The Phase One project, which was 57 per cent complete as of April 12, 2026, includes four blocks of affordable housing units, social housing units, market spaces and supporting infrastructure such as a wastewater treatment plant, borehole, chain-link fence and gate house.
The project is part of the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030, aimed at improving living standards through decent housing, modern amenities and expanded economic opportunities.
Young people like Kiprop say the Iten Affordable Housing Project is already proving that beyond bricks and mortar, it can build careers, incomes and dreams for the future.
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