(DIANI, KENYA) – Kenya’s rapidly expanding satellite towns are coming under growing pressure to upgrade infrastructure and planning, as developers increase housing supply without a corresponding expansion of roads, drainage, water and other essential services.
Built environment professionals are calling for a shift in how new housing and infrastructure projects are planned, arguing that urban development, climate resilience, land use and public services can no longer be treated as separate investments.
The warning comes as rapid construction in areas surrounding major cities increases demand for housing while exposing gaps in the systems supporting new residential and commercial developments.
Speaking at the Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) 2026 Convention in Diani, Acting Housing Secretary Cassius Kusienya, delivering a keynote on behalf of Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, said Kenya’s urban systems were struggling to keep pace with population growth and development.
“Our towns are growing faster than the systems that serve them,” Kusienya said, pointing to failed drainage systems, washed out roads, saline wells, overheated buildings and settlements located on flood prone land as signs of growing climate and infrastructure risks.
The concerns come against a backdrop of building safety challenges that could increase the risks and costs associated with rapid urban development.
An AAK Status of the Built Environment report found that only 43% of 1,333 buildings audited by the National Building Inspectorate during the 2023/24 financial year were certified completely safe for human use.
Another 42 buildings, equivalent to 3% of those inspected, were classified as dangerous and requiring immediate testing and, in some cases, demolition. A further 246 buildings, or 18%, were classified as unsafe, while 453 buildings, representing 34%, were rated fair.
The findings have increased pressure for stronger enforcement as construction expands into satellite towns and peri urban areas, where demand for housing has driven rapid changes in land use.
For developers, the concerns point to potentially higher costs where projects require additional spending on drainage, road access, water, sanitation and climate adaptation, while poorly planned developments could require costly retrofitting in future.
The Government’s Affordable Housing Programme is also increasing the scale of construction, with more than 280,000 units reported to be under development across about 40 counties.
The programme has attracted more than one million registrations through the Boma Yangu platform, showing the demand for affordable housing and the potential for continued investment in the sector.
However, professionals argue that the scale of housing construction needs to be matched by investment in the infrastructure and services required to support growing urban populations.
Zimbabwe Institute of Quantity Surveyors president Audily Chatora said resilience should be incorporated into decisions across the built environment rather than treated as an additional feature of construction.
“Resilience is a shared responsibility, and the cost of inaction is ultimately measured in lives lost and communities left vulnerable,” Chatora said.