France and Nairobi County have entered into a groundbreaking partnership aimed at promoting affordable housing and upgrading informal settlements in the Kenyan capital. The agreement was formalized during the visit of French Minister Delegate for Francophonie and International Partnerships, Thani Mohamed-Soilihi, at a ceremony held at the United Nations Complex in Gigiri, Nairobi.
This new deal underscores France’s commitment to supporting inclusive and sustainable urban development in Africa. One of the central outcomes of the visit was the signing of two major agreements aimed at boosting social housing initiatives in Nairobi and globally.
The first agreement, signed between UN-Habitat, the city of Paris, and the city of Nairobi, establishes a Social Housing Hub in both cities. This initiative seeks to connect the Global North and South through community-driven housing solutions, fostering collaboration on innovative approaches to affordable housing. The agreement was endorsed by Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, and UN-Habitat Executive Director Anclaudia Rossbach.
The second agreement, between UN-Habitat and the French government, will support the creation of a global cooperation hub for sustainable housing. This hub will focus on knowledge exchange, capacity building, and the formation of international partnerships to advance sustainable urban living. It will also emphasize key elements such as energy efficiency and digital connectivity in housing projects.
Minister Mohamed-Soilihi hailed the initiative as a milestone in France’s strengthened partnership with Kenya and UN-Habitat. “This is the first milestone in a strengthened partnership, which will culminate in the creation of a ‘Cooperation Hub’ in Paris to promote innovative solutions in social housing globally,” he stated.
Governor Sakaja welcomed the collaboration and stressed the importance of transitioning from policy to tangible outcomes. “We will be working closely with the national government, and I hope these partnerships can move from overquoted statistics to real actions where we see real lives being changed,” he said.
The agreements mark a significant step forward in efforts to improve urban housing and living conditions in Nairobi, setting a global example of North-South cooperation for sustainable development.
