NAIROBI, Kenya – President William Ruto has hit back at Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna over his opposition to the government’s affordable housing programme, challenging the lawmaker to present an alternative plan for the sector.
Ruto spoke in Kisumu on Monday, September 14, 2026, a day after Sifuna led the Linda Mwananchi movement in a rally in Nairobi where he criticised the housing levy and outlined the opposition’s proposed approach to affordable housing.
Ruto: You have no plan for housing
Responding to Sifuna’s position, Ruto questioned what would happen to young Kenyans employed through housing, market and student hostel projects if the programmes were scrapped.
“Please, don’t have a conversation about housing, kwa sababu hamuelewi. Akili yenu haiwezi fika mahali ya kujenga anything,” Ruto said.
The President claimed that about 1.1 million young people were working under the housing programme and related projects.
“Wale vijana milioni moja nukta moja wanaofanya kazi katika mpango ya housing na markets na hostels, mtawapeleka wapi?” he asked.
Ruto challenged his opponents to explain what they would replace the programme with rather than simply calling for it to be stopped.
“You have no capacity. You have no way and you have no capacity to discuss housing because you have no plan, you have no agenda, you have no program,” he said.
Sifuna wants housing levy scrapped
Sifuna has criticised the housing levy and said Linda Mwananchi would review the government’s affordable housing approach if elected in the 2027 General Election.
Ruto appeared to respond directly to the proposal, saying the government had already made arrangements to provide housing for members of the National Police Service.
“Mnasema ati mtagawanya haya manyumba kwa polisi. Wacha niwapashe habari. Polisi tumewapangia manyumba elfu ishirini tayari,” Ruto said.
Ruto defends affordable housing programme
The President argued that abandoning the housing programme would leave millions of Kenyans in informal settlements without access to basic services.
“Yaani mnatuambia Wakenya waendelee kuishi kwa vitongoji duni kule kwa slum, mahali hakuna choo, hakuna maji, hakuna stima, hakuna barabara,” he said.
Ruto also questioned whether scrapping the programme would leave women running businesses in difficult conditions while university, TVET and KMTC students continued living in informal settlements.
The exchange has placed affordable housing and the housing levy at the centre of an emerging political contest ahead of the 2027 elections.
Ruto: We will compete on policies
Ruto said he was ready to face his political opponents but insisted the contest should focus on policies and development plans rather than insults, tribal politics or hostility.
“Sisi tuko tayari kushindana lakini tuko tayari kushindana kwa sera. Tuko tayari kushindana kwa akili. Tuko tayari kushindana kwa mpango,” he said.
