Awendo, Migori County —
The red soil was still damp from an overnight drizzle when President William Ruto arrived in Awendo on Thursday morning. Within minutes, he was placing the ceremonial foundation stone for a project that his administration says will change the town’s skyline and livelihoods.

The Sh750 million Awendo Affordable Housing Project will see 293 flats rise within the next year on a compact 1.8-acre plot. According to the President, the initiative is part of a deliberate push to deliver development “in all regions equally” and to ensure that “no region will be left behind.”

“This project is proof the Affordable Housing Programme works for all Kenyans,” Dr Ruto told a crowd gathered near the Awendo Mosque, just metres from where the two high-rise blocks will stand. “Awendo’s skyline is going to experience an unforgettable change that will directly benefit local residents and businesses.”

The design calls for a 14-storey tower with 165 units and a 15-storey neighbour with 128. Both will share landscaped green spaces, a playground, parking bays, a community centre, and other amenities, including a guardhouse and internal access roads.

Construction will also mean work for 440 people, while the local Jua Kali sector in Migori will take on contracts worth more than Sh249 million for windows, doors, and steel fittings. Officials say the approach is meant to keep much of the spending inside the community.

The knock-on effects could be far-reaching. With an influx of workers and, later, residents, the President predicted more customers for food vendors, matatu operators, hairdressers, and shop owners. Anindo Primary School, next to the site, is earmarked for expansion to cope with the expected increase in pupil numbers.

Ruto also highlighted a training element that will allow locals to learn trades from masonry and plumbing to landscaping and welding. Those who complete the work will be assessed and certified by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority — a step he says will leave “lasting skills in people’s hands” long after the towers are complete.

The Awendo development is one of dozens of such projects under Kenya’s Affordable Housing Programme, which the government has billed as a way to tackle urban shortages while creating jobs. Supporters call it a model for inclusive growth; critics say the schemes risk pricing out the poorest unless properly managed.

For now, in Awendo, the focus is on the build. Heavy machinery will soon move in, the President promised, and by this time next year, the town could be welcoming its first residents into brand new homes.