NAIROBI, Kenya – Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has stirred controversy with remarks on the government’s Affordable Housing Programme (AHP), fueling public frustration over the initiative’s implementation.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday morning, Wahome clarified that Kenyans should not expect to receive houses in exchange for their housing levy contributions.
Instead, she explained that the deductions fund construction, while individual buyers must still pay for the homes.
“The money you are contributing is not supposed to give you a house, it is helping us build the house. After that, it is you who pays for that house,” Wahome stated.
Her comments have triggered an angry response from Kenyans, many of whom already view the mandatory housing levy as an additional financial burden amid tough economic conditions.
Social media has been abuzz with criticism, with some questioning why they should contribute to a project that does not guarantee them ownership.
Despite the backlash, the government remains committed to delivering 5,000 affordable housing units by April 2025, adding to the 140,000 units already constructed under the programme.
However, the ambitious target of one million units by 2027 appears increasingly unrealistic, with the government admitting delays caused by legal challenges and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
A major concern is the feasibility of the project’s financing model.
According to recent data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), only 10% of registered members on the Boma Yangu platform—intended for low-income earners such as boda boda riders and mama mbogas—are actively saving towards home purchases.
The platform requires members to save at least 10% of a unit’s selling price before they qualify for allocation.
Meanwhile, the 2024/25 Housing Survey highlights a stark divide in homeownership: 85.5% of rural residents own homes and in urban areas, homeownership drops to 22.8%, with seven in 10 residents living in rental houses.
These figures expose a disconnect between government policy and the realities of Kenyan homeownership.
Many urban dwellers prefer building homes in the outskirts, where land is cheaper, rather than purchasing government-allocated units in high-rise developments.
To address fears of state repossession, Wahome assured the public that new homeowners will manage their estates through resident management corporations, as outlined in the Sectional Properties Act, 2020.
This law ensures individual ownership of housing units while maintaining shared areas collectively.
Under the legal framework:
1. Sectional plans must be surveyed and registered.
2. The National Government will transfer titles to the Affordable Housing Board, which will oversee initial ownership.
3. Once buyers complete payments, ownership titles will be transferred to them, granting full legal rights to the property.
Despite these legal protections, skepticism remains high.
With funding challenges, sluggish uptake, and growing discontent over the mandatory housing levy, the road ahead for the Affordable Housing Programme looks increasingly uncertain.
