Stakeholders Call for Urgent Action as Kenya Grapples with Rising Homelessness

By James Nyaigoti,

A renewed call to confront the growing crisis of homelessness in Kenya has taken center stage following a roundtable discussion convened by the Undugu Society of Kenya under the theme “Eliminating Homelessness and Indignity.”

The forum brought together policymakers, civil society actors and community stakeholders to address what participants described as a critical gap in reliable data on homelessness since 2018 a gap that continues to hinder effective policy formulation and intervention.

Data Deficit Hindering Solutions

Speaking during the discussion, Bungoma Senator Okiya Omtatah emphasized that addressing homelessness must begin with establishing credible, up-to-date data.

“We need to develop accurate knowledge about homelessness and what is called street living. The first step is to understand the scale of the problem. Without proper data, we cannot design effective solutions,” he said. Stakeholders noted that while anecdotal figures suggest that Nairobi alone could have as many as 100,000 people experiencing homelessness, the absence of official statistics makes it difficult to quantify the true magnitude of the crisis nationwide.

Civil society actors observed that periodic city enforcement operations often push homeless individuals away from central business districts into less regulated peri-urban areas, making them even harder to track and support.

Participants framed homelessness not merely as a socio-economic challenge but as a constitutional and human rights issue. Article 43 of the Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person the right to accessible and adequate housing, as well as reasonable standards of sanitation.

Globally, the scale of inadequate housing remains alarming. An estimated 320 million people lack safe, stable and adequate accommodation in urban areas worldwide. About 2.8 billion people live in inadequate housing conditions, while approximately 1.1 billion people reside in informal settlements 90 percent of them in Africa and Asia.

Senator Omtatah further referenced international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, both of which recognize adequate housing as a fundamental human right tied to inherent human dignity.

Affordability and Urban Migration

Experts at the roundtable identified low incomes, unemployment and affordability constraints as the primary drivers of homelessness and streetism. Rapid urbanization and the growth of emerging towns have intensified rural-to-urban migration, often without corresponding economic opportunities.

As industries expand beyond Nairobi into secondary towns, migration patterns have shifted, with people relocating from rural villages to nearby urban centers in search of work. However, limited income often forces many into informal settlements lacking proper sanitation, clean water and secure tenure.

“We must look at homelessness as a function of income and affordability,” participants noted. “Unless we address economic empowerment and access to decent jobs, homelessness will persist.”

Land, Services and Sustainable Housing

Speakers stressed that housing solutions must go beyond constructing units. Even so-called affordable housing requires residents to meet utility costs such as water and electricity expenses many vulnerable families cannot sustain.

Calls were made for land access reforms, inclusive urban planning and community-driven shelter models. Participants pointed to the need for what was termed a “knowledge bank” a coordinated data and research system involving government, civil society and development partners to map homelessness trends accurately.

There were also appeals for the government to improve service delivery in informal settlements, including sanitation, clean water access and renewable energy solutions.

Empowering Vulnerable Communities

Senator Omtatah underscored the importance of empowering vulnerable communities to “defeat streetism and homelessness,” noting that the issue is not an individual failing but a systemic challenge requiring collective responsibility.

“This is not a problem of one person. It is a problem of society,” he said. As Kenya continues to urbanize rapidly, stakeholders warned that failure to address homelessness through data-driven, rights-based and economically sustainable strategies could deepen inequality and social exclusion.

The roundtable concluded with a shared commitment to push for comprehensive national data collection and coordinated policy action aimed at restoring dignity to thousands of Kenyans living without safe and adequate shelter.