Kenya may have 500,000 homeless people, stakeholders warn

Governance expert and constitutional lawyer PLO Lumumba addresses the media during the National Conference on the State of Homelessness and Street-Connectedness in Nairobi, July 29,2026. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Stakeholders have challenged the government's official homelessness figures, estimating that between 300,000 and 500,000 people could be homeless or street-connected in Kenya despite official data placing the number at about 18,000.

Speaking during the National Conference on the State of Homelessness and Street-Connectedness in Nairobi on Wednesday, they called for urgent national action, arguing that homelessness has remained outside Kenya's development agenda despite years of advocacy.

"We have official data indicating that we have 18,000 street-connected persons in this country. From where we sit, based on our experience and interaction with communities, we think there are many more. In our estimation, the number is between 300,000 and 500,000," said Executive Director of the Undugu Society of Kenya Eric Mukoya.

Mukoya questioned the government's data, noting that the latest national census on street-connected people, released in 2019, estimated about 46,000 people were living on the streets before the official figure later dropped to about 18,000.

He argued that the actual number could be higher when families living without secure housing and other forms of homelessness are included.

"Homelessness is not simply the absence of a house; it is the denial of dignity, belonging and equal citizenship," observed Mukoya.

He said homelessness reflects policy choices, systemic exclusion and development models that have failed to place human dignity at the centre.

Mukoya added that rapid urbanisation, displacement, gentrification and widening inequality continue to push more Kenyans into homelessness while denying many access to opportunities and essential public services.

Former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission Director and constitutional lawyer PLO Lumumba urged the government to develop a clear national policy on homelessness and coordinate action between the national and county governments.

"The government must have a clear policy position on this issue, and that policy must be translated into coordinated action. Now that we have devolved governments, it will take collaboration between the national and county governments to address the problem," explained Lumumba.

He also called for partnerships between government, the private sector, civil society and other stakeholders to tackle the crisis.

"If we work together, we will resolve this problem. Homelessness has wider implications, including crime and early pregnancies. These are issues that cannot be allowed to take root in a country that seeks to eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable development," added Lumumba.

Mukoya maintained that housing should first be recognised as a constitutional and human right rather than a market commodity.

The Undugu Society urged the national and county governments to implement Article 43 of the Constitution on the right to accessible and adequate housing, Article 28 on the right to human dignity and Article 29 on the right to freedom and security of the person.

The organisation said those rights require inclusive housing policies, stronger social protection programmes, better access to public services and greater participation by people with lived experience of homelessness.

Council of Governors Director of Programmes and Committees Wangalwa Kizito said homelessness remains an issue of inclusion that has not received adequate government attention.

"The issue of homelessness is an issue of inclusion that the government has not adequately addressed. We must work together to support counties in tackling this challenge at the local level," noted Kizito.

The conference brought together policymakers, county governments, civil society organisations, development partners, faith-based organisations and private sector representatives, who called for coordinated efforts to address the root causes of homelessness and restore dignity to affected people.