President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday, July 27, secured a Ksh20 billion investment for the Big Four Projects on his first day of a state visit to the United Kingdom. 

The deal from the UK government will include a Ksh8.7 billion for 10,000 green affordable homes which are also among President Kenyatta’s deliverable pillars on affordable housing under the Big Four Agenda.

Kenya seeks to tackle climate change in the country and the State Department of Housing endorsed the World Bank’s private sector arm, International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) as the minimum standard for the design of affordable, climate-friendly homes. 

According to the World Bank, Kenya has a housing deficit of more than two million units, with more than 60% of urban households living in slums. 

President Kenyatta will be in the UK capital, London, for three days and will co-chair the Global Education Summit alongside the country’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson. 

The event will raise over Ksh500 billion (USD5 billion) channeled towards improving access to education worldwide. Uhuru will also announce multi-million deals aligned with his Big 4 Agenda.

The Kenyan head of state will also grace an event at West London’s Kew Gardens, to celebrate the Kenya-UK Year of Climate Action, and Kenya’s leadership on climate change in Africa ahead of COP26.

The two leaders, Boris and Uhuru, held several virtual tours and meetings in 2021 to discuss education and development agendas. 

Uhuru and Kenyan delegates underwent Covid-19 tests prior to flying out to the UK on Tuesday, July 27. 

England defended the move, stating that it was adamant about protecting its Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and royal family members who would interact with Uhuru and his entourage. 

This was after the UK retained Kenya and other nations on a Red List Alert and banned their citizens from traveling into the country, owing to Covid-19 transmissions.

England demanded the group be subjected to Polymerase Chain Reaction tests (PCR) which detect early symptoms of Covid-19. 

Uhuru was vaccinated with the Astrazeneca vaccine in March 2021, at State House Nairobi and urged Kenyans to follow suit and curb the spread of the virus.

He also ordered the Cabinet and other government officials to be vaccinated.