President William Ruto has encouraged women across the country to take up housing units being built under the Affordable Housing Programme.
He made the remarks on November 27 during the 16th anniversary celebrations of the Joyful Women Organization (JoyWO) at Kasarani Stadium.
Ruto said the social housing units are within reach for many women and urged JoyWO members to consider buying them.
“I want to encourage women from JoyWO that in the 230,000 houses we are constructing, 40,000 of them are social houses that you can buy,” he said.
He added that women saving through JoyWO, the Hustler Fund and other financial groups should take advantage of the programme and work toward owning homes.
The President also encouraged women to register under the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the universal health programme is meant to ease healthcare costs for families, especially mothers.
Ruto further pointed to the government’s fertiliser subsidy, noting that it had helped women in farming increase their production.
During the event, the President paid tribute to First Lady Rachel Ruto for founding JoyWO in 2009 at the start of his political journey. The organisation focuses on empowering women economically through table banking, a model where small groups save and lend money among themselves.
The celebration was also attended by Zimbabwe’s Tourism and Hospitality Minister Barbara Rwodzi, who represented Zimbabwe First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa.
