Rent over food: The struggles of households to keep roofs over their heads

Rising housing costs are forcing Kenyan families to choose between rent and other basic needs. [iStockphoto]

For millions of Kenyans living on tight incomes and yet to own homes, the end-of-month knock from the landlord has become a familiar source of anxiety as households struggle to keep a roof over their heads.

With about 4.6 million households living in rented homes, according to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the scale of the financial burden associated with housing is becoming increasingly evident.