Ruto calls Sifuna, Linda Mwananchi team ‘fools’ over housing

NAIROBI, Kenya Sep 14 – President William Ruto has hit back at the Linda Mwananchi movement’s proposal to allocate units under the government’s Affordable Housing Programme to police officers, calling its leaders “fools” and accusing them of having no plan for the country.

Speaking in Kisumu on Monday during the second day of his five-day tour of Nyanza, Ruto said those pushing the proposal did not understand the government’s housing programme.

The President said the government had already planned to construct 20,000 houses for police officers, dismissing Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s proposal as unnecessary.

“We have already planned 20,000 houses for the police. We are way ahead,” Ruto said.

His remarks came a day after Sifuna, speaking at a Linda Mwananchi rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi, said police officers deserved decent and affordable housing because of their role in maintaining security.

Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino also praised police officers for what they described as professionalism in managing the opposition supporters’ convoy in Nairobi.

But Ruto accused Sifuna and his team of lacking an understanding of the housing programme.

“You have no capacity to discuss housing because you have no plan, you have no agenda, you have no programme,” the President said.

Ruto defended the Affordable Housing Programme, saying it was creating jobs for young people while providing houses, markets and hostels across the country.

He said 44 billion shillings had been set aside for housing-related projects in Kisumu County, including 12,000 housing units, 20 markets and hostels for 12,000 young people.

“Across the entire country, 130,000 houses are being built, 600 markets are being built, and hostels for 180,000 of our young people are being built,” Ruto said.

He added that about 1.1 million young people were currently working under the housing, markets and hostels programme.

President Ruto also challenged the opposition over its criticism of the programme, asking what would happen to the young people employed through the projects if the programme was stopped.

His comments came after Sifuna questioned the impact of affordable housing on Nairobi’s informal settlements.

Sifuna challenged Ruto to identify a Nairobi slum that had been eliminated as a direct result of the housing programme.

“When Ruto was elected, the Mathare slum was already there. In Mukuru kwa Njenga, there was a slum. In Kibera, there was a slum,” Sifuna said.

He argued that the housing crisis was also linked to low incomes, saying many Nairobi residents lacked enough disposable income to afford decent homes.

The Affordable Housing Levy requires employees to contribute 1.5 per cent of their gross salary, with employers making a similar contribution.

The government has set a target of constructing 250,000 affordable housing units annually, mainly targeting low- and middle-income households.