Ruto hits back at critics, defends affordable housing programme

President William Ruto has hit back at critics of his affordable housing programme, saying plans to stop the projects would threaten jobs and leave millions of Kenyans without access to decent housing.

Speaking in Kisumu on Monday, Ruto said the government had deployed Sh44 billion towards the construction of 12,000 housing units, 20 markets and 12,000 hostel beds in the city as part of the wider affordable housing programme.

He said the programme was designed not only to provide decent homes but also to create employment opportunities for young Kenyans.

Across the country, Ruto said, the housing programme had created jobs for about 1.1 million people.

“I hear some people saying they will stop the housing programme. I want to tell them, please don't have a conversation about housing because you don't understand anything about it,” Ruto said.

He challenged those opposing the programme to explain what would happen to the young people earning a living through construction projects if the programme was stopped.

“You say you will stop the housing levy, remove housing funds, stop construction of affordable housing, markets and hostels. I am asking you, if you really have the brains, those 1.1 million young people working under this project, where will you take them?” he said.

Ruto also dismissed claims that the affordable houses would be allocated to police officers, saying the government had a separate programme for police housing.

“I hear they also say they will divide these houses and allocate them to the police. Let me tell you, we have planned 20,000 houses for police officers already,” he said.

The President said opponents of the programme had failed to appreciate the housing challenges facing millions of Kenyans living in informal settlements.

He said stopping the programme would condemn families to continue living in slums without adequate toilets, roads and water.

“So when they say we will stop the housing programme, you mean they are telling us to leave Kenyans to continue staying in dilapidated slums where there are no toilets, roads or water?” Ruto asked.

He said the government could not allow young people and families to continue living in poor conditions when it had an opportunity to provide better housing and create jobs at the same time.

Ruto said the government was targeting the construction of 300,000 housing units and 600 hostels across the country, with the programme also expected to support the development of markets and other infrastructure.

He said the debate over the housing programme should be based on competing development ideas rather than tribalism and political divisions.

“We are ready to compete in ideologies, mambo na sera. Hatuna nafasi ya ukabila,” he said.

Ruto said his administration would continue implementing its development agenda in Nyanza, assuring residents that Kisumu and the wider region would not be left behind.

I am assuring you that Nyanza will not be left behind ever again,” he said.