A high-level delegation from Somalia’s Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing drew valuable lessons from Kenya’s affordable housing program and land governance systems as part of their one-week Executive Leadership Program at the Kenya School of Government (KSG), Lower Kabete.

Led by H.E. Hon. Farah Abdinoor Ahmed, Director General, Ministry of Public Works, Reconstruction and Housing of the Federal Government of Somalia, the delegation visited the New Mukuru Estate Affordable Housing Project and the National Land Commission (NLC) for practical insights into how Kenya is strengthening urban development, housing delivery and land administration.

The benchmarking visits formed part of KSG’s experiential learning approach, which exposes public sector leaders to successful governance models that can inform policy and institutional reforms in their own countries.

The delegation also visited the National Land Commission (NLC) to benchmark Kenya’s experience in public land management, land administration, compulsory acquisition, land dispute resolution and institutional coordination.

The engagement demonstrated the critical role that effective land governance plays in supporting infrastructure development, housing delivery and sustainable urban planning. The discussions highlighted integrated urban planning and secure land tenure as fundamental requirements for sustainable development.

Dr. Tawfiq Bashir, Deputy Director, Embu Campus, and Program Coordinator, observed that leadership is measured by the ability to translate policy into meaningful results. He noted that such visits enable participants to bridge classroom learning with practical experiences, allowing them to appreciate how institutions work together to deliver better public services.

The combined visits reinforced an important lesson for the delegation: sustainable reconstruction requires more than physical infrastructure. Effective housing program depend on strong land governance systems, sound policies, capable institutions and coordinated planning that provide a foundation for inclusive and resilient development.