Internship programme under affordable housing kicks off

At the project sites in Kikuyu, Limuru and Ngong, interns drawn from diverse disciplines work side by side with experienced artisans, engineers and supervisors, translating classroom theory into practical experience.

Each site hosts at least 30 interns, forming part of a broader national internship drive embedded within the government’s flagship housing agenda.

Last week, President William Ruto hosted 5,500 graduate interns engaged under the Affordable Housing Programme, underscoring the administration’s focus on job creation through public infrastructure investment.

“Philippines created six and a half million jobs using investment in public infrastructure. What we are doing in Kenya is not an invention. It is what is tested, what is tried and what works,” President Ruto said.

A visit to several of the sites reveals a bustling ecosystem of learning and production. In Kikuyu, the construction yard is alive with activity. Carpenters shape timber, masons mix mortar, and interns closely observe and assist, absorbing the rhythms and discipline of site work.

According to Elvis Ndua, an Inspector of Works at the Kikuyu Affordable Housing Project, the development caters to different income brackets.

 “We have social houses for incomes below Sh20,000, affordable housing units for those earning between Sh20,000 and Sh149,000, and market units,” he said.

For the interns, the exposure goes beyond technical skills. 

“We are getting to interact with professionals who have already been in the field, as well as fellow interns,” said Victoria Nyaguthie, an architectural intern at the Kikuyu site.

In Limuru, towering cranes dominate the skyline as steel beams are hoisted into place. Alex Kimathi, the Clerk of Works, said the project has five blocks with a mix of social, affordable and market units.

 “On a daily basis, we engage about 100 skilled labourers and 120 unskilled workers, most of them drawn from the local community,” he noted.

Engineering, architecture, quantity surveying and communication graduates are all embedded in site operations, learning project management, reporting and coordination.

 Civil engineering intern Dennis Kayai said the programme bridges the gap between theory and practice, while communication intern Agnes Maluki highlighted the importance of documentation and daily reporting in keeping site managers informed.

Similar scenes play out in Ngong and Thika, where sparks fly from metal workshops and interns in safety helmets move between tasks with growing confidence.

Beyond bricks and mortar, the Affordable Housing Programme is positioning itself as a skills pipeline for young Kenyans. President Ruto maintains that the initiative is not only about building houses, but about transforming lives, equipping youth with practical skills and advancing the country’s economic agenda.