President William Ruto attended the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Convened by UN-Habitat and the Azerbaijani government, the forum is a premier global event focused on sustainable urbanization. Kenya was explicitly invited in recognition of its leadership in urban development, and Ruto used the platform to heavily pitch his administration's domestic housing agenda on the international stage.  

Key Highlights from Ruto's Address

1. The "Largest Housing Program in Africa" Claim

During the Leaders' Summit, President Ruto boldly declared that Kenya now boasts the largest housing program on the African continent. He shared specific metrics regarding the Affordable Housing Programme:  

Built so far: 273,000 housing units have been constructed over the last three years.  

Deliveries: 8,000 keys have already been handed over to owners, with another 55,000 scheduled for handover before the end of 2026.  

The Pipeline: Kenya has a forward pipeline of 700,000 planned units.  

Funding: The program is locally funded to the tune of $5 billion.  

2. Job Creation and Economic Impact

Ruto positioned the housing initiative not just as a social program, but as a massive economic driver. He stated that the construction pipeline has already employed 640,000 young people, including architects, engineers, and laborers, with a short-term target of expanding that workforce to one million people.  

3. Slum Upgrading Narrative

Addressing the global audience, Ruto categorized Kenya's 1,100 informal settlements—which house roughly 7 million residents—as "unacceptable and unsustainable." He claimed the affordable housing framework successfully relocates slum residents into high-rise, decent homes at a monthly cost equivalent to what they were previously paying in rent.  

4. Direct Engagements & The "Global Champion" Role

UN-Habitat Partnership: Ruto met with UN-Habitat Executive Director Anacláudia Rossbach. Having previously been named a Global Champion for Adequate Housing by the UN body, Ruto pledged Kenya’s continued partnership in promoting resilient, people-centered cities.  

Global Financial Reforms: He called for a major restructuring of the global financial architecture, advocating for more flexible, long-term, and affordable housing finance mechanisms tailored for rapidly urbanizing developing nations.  

Side Engagements & Next Steps

Beyond the urban policy discussions, Ruto held bilateral talks with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to explore partnerships spanning energy (oil, gas, and renewables), ICT, infrastructure, and expanding markets for Kenyan agricultural exports.  

Following his conclusion at the forum in Azerbaijan, President Ruto scheduled a travel itinerary to Astana, Kazakhstan for a trade- and investment-focused State Visit.