Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya has urged Kenyans to support the government’s affordable housing initiative by moving into urban housing units and allowing rural land to be used for farming and food production.

Speaking on Thursday, October 31, 2025, Oparanya said that many people hold onto ancestral land for sentimental reasons, such as the presence of their parents’ graves, but stressed that this practice limits the country’s agricultural potential.

“We want you to leave your farms at home, buy and live in the affordable houses, so that the farms can be used for farming. Don’t cry that there is your mother’s or father’s grave — give birth to a child and call him your mother or father so you can remember them through the child,” Oparanya said.

“It is not a must for you to live at the farm to remember your parents by seeing their graves,” he added.

The former governor emphasized that Kenya’s growing population demands a more strategic approach to land use, arguing that rural land should primarily serve agricultural and economic purposes rather than being occupied for residential reasons.

Oparanya also voiced his support for the Affordable Housing Programme, terming it a sustainable solution to the country’s housing shortage while simultaneously boosting agricultural productivity.

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His remarks sparked debate online, with some Kenyans agreeing that efficient land use is key to achieving food security, while others felt that ancestral homes hold deep cultural and emotional significance that cannot easily be replaced.

The Affordable Housing Programme remains one of the government’s flagship projects under the Kenya Kwanza administration, aimed at providing decent homes for low- and middle-income earners while stimulating job creation and economic growth.

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