Mi Vida Homes and International Housing Solutions (IHS) Kenya, have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership into a collaboration for the development of 240 affordable green housing units at the KEZA Riruta Development. This follows an earlier collaboration that saw the delivery of 200 units at the Garden City development. The new partnership was announced during the handover of the first phase of the KEZA Riruta Development by Mi Vida.
KEZA Riruta, a master-planned affordable housing community located in Nairobi’s Dagoretti South Constituency, comprises a mix of 1,100 studio, one, two and three-bedroom units.
Mi VIDA Chief Executive Officer Samuel Kariuki said the new joint development reflects the partners shared commitment to scalable, sustainable urban development.
“Our partnership with International Housing Solutions (IHS) Kenya continues to strengthen institutional participation in the affordable housing space, anchored on sustainability principles. Beyond the green certification of the project, a lot of attention has been paid to livability and amenities, as evidenced by the areas dedicated to green spaces. We see KEZA as more than a housing project – It is a blueprint for inclusive urban growth,” Kariuki explained.
The KEZA development uses the International Finance Corporation’s Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (IFC EDGE) certification standards. Residents will benefit from energy and water-efficient designs that lower long-term costs, as well as access to integrated retail, leisure, and transport infrastructure.
Kioi Wambaa, Managing Director of IHS Kenya, emphasized the significance of the expansion: “Our investment in KEZA Riruta reflects our ambition to redefine what affordable housing can be. The strong uptake and interest in KEZA signal a clear demand for quality homes that don’t compromise on sustainability or location. We are proud to deepen our cooperation with Mi Vida to meet this demand.
IHS Kenya plays a pivotal role in financing and delivering affordable, sustainable housing developments across the country. The firm, a subsidiary of the US-based Hunt Companies Inc, is part of International Housing Solutions (IHS), a leading private equity real estate fund manager that has developed and financed over 40,000 affordable housing units across Sub-Saharan Africa. To date, IHS Kenya is on track to deliver over 4,000 green-certified homes by 2030, through partnerships with reputable developers such as Mi Vida Homes., with KEZA Riruta playing a pivotal role in that journey.
The new partnership comes at a time when Nairobi faces an annual housing deficit of over 250,000 units, particularly in the affordable segment. KEZA’s rapid uptake and investor interest affirm the viability of public-private collaboration in addressing this gap.
Together, Mi Vida and IHS Kenya reaffirm their commitment to supporting Kenya’s Affordable Housing Agenda, while creating jobs, promoting green construction practices, and catalyzing infrastructure-led economic growth.
