President William Ruto has once again defended his government’s controversial Housing Levy, claiming that Kenyans themselves supported the idea as part of a collective effort to solve the country’s housing crisis.
Speaking during an interview while on an official visit to Qatar, President Ruto said that the Affordable Housing Programme was born out of consultations with citizens who expressed their desire for better housing and were ready to contribute through the levy.
“Kenyans willingly told me to tax them the Housing Levy so we can build Affordable Houses for them,” President Ruto said.
The Head of State explained that the project aims to provide decent and affordable homes for low- and middle-income earners while creating thousands of jobs for youth across the country. He insisted that the initiative is not a burden, but rather a long-term investment in Kenya’s future.
However, his remarks have stirred fresh debate among Kenyans online, with many questioning whether citizens truly agreed to the levy. Critics argue that the tax was imposed without adequate public participation and has increased the cost of living.
Supporters of the President, on the other hand, say the programme will boost economic growth and help solve the housing shortage that has affected millions of Kenyans in urban areas.
President Ruto’s statement in Qatar comes as the government continues to face pressure from labour unions and civil society groups calling for a review of the Housing Levy deductions from workers’ salaries.
As the debate continues, the Affordable Housing Programme remains one of the most divisive yet ambitious pillars of Ruto’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
