Shockwaves rippled through the country on Tuesday, June 3, after revelations emerged that new regulations quietly passed by Members of Parliament could be used to siphon housing levy funds into unrelated projects.
In a fiery statement that sent alarm bells ringing, Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-Kenya) boss Francis Atwoli warned that these controversial rules—yet to be approved by the Attorney General—pose a serious threat to the integrity of President William Ruto’s Affordable Housing agenda.
According to Atwoli, the freshly minted guidelines dangerously open the door for lawmakers to redirect housing levy money to ventures like police posts, health centers, social halls, and even markets—developments that, while vital, were never part of the original housing plan promised to Kenyan workers.
“These are not what our workers signed up for. This is a betrayal,” Atwoli declared in a strongly worded statement.
He further slammed the process for excluding workers’ voices, revealing that neither COTU nor its representative on the housing board were consulted during the drafting of the new rules—even though Kenyan workers contribute over 90% to the levy.
“How can you decide the future of workers’ money without them at the table?” he questioned.
COTU is now demanding an immediate halt to the implementation of the new regulations and calling for inclusive national dialogue to reshape the policy—this time with full worker participation.
Meanwhile, President Ruto continues to push forward with the Affordable Housing initiative, recently commissioning the Mukuru project and handing over keys to over 1,000 new homeowners. In a bold move earlier today, he directed that 20% of government-built housing units be reserved for the disciplined forces, including police and the KDF.
“We must protect the funds to ensure our security personnel benefit,” the president emphasized.
As pressure mounts and suspicions grow over the true intent of these new rules, the nation watches closely. Will the housing dream turn into a political nightmare?
