CS Alice Wahome: Monthly deductions won’t get you a house
The Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Alice Wahome has issued clarity on the government’s affordable housing project and the role of deduction of the housing levy.
Speaking during an interview with a local media station on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, the CS disclosed that the housing levy funds being collected are not intended to grant contributors immediate ownership of houses but rather to facilitate the construction process.
Emphasizing that the contributions are separate from the final cost of purchasing a home, the CS said that the deduction is directed into a central fund which helps the government build affordable houses for Kenyans adding that those who are contributing and wish to own a house under the Boma Yangu project can apply to buy since the platform is in the public domain.
“The money you are contributing is not supposed to give you a house, it is helping us build affordable houses for Kenyans. After that, it is up to you to buy the house because the platform is public, we are not building and giving you,” she said.
She went on to say that the housing levy is not a saving but a levy specific for building affordable and accessible houses for Kenyans.
“The deduction is a tax that we are getting is a payment by way of a levy or tax. I think it is easier to call it a tax although it is a levy specific for building houses to afford Kenyans. What you are contributing (housing levy) is not your savings, you are contributing a tax levy,” she said.
Affordable housing programme
On Wednesday, December 18, 2024, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki said that over half a million Kenyans have registered for home ownership through the Affordable Housing‘s Boma Yangu programme.
“The Affordable Housing Programme is a priority programme by the government aimed at facilitating citizens access to decent, safe, and affordable housing. Currently, the national annual demand for housing stands at 250,000 units against an annual market production of 50,000 units. To address this challenge, the government is implementing an affordable housing programme that includes the social housing project to cater to low-income earners,” Kindiki said in a statement on X.
“550,000 citizens have registered for home ownership through the Boma Yangu platform, and the allocation process will begin once the housing projects are complete. The government is expanding the housing programme to match the demand and supply for affordable and dignified housing. From January 2025, some of the housing projects will be ready for commissioning, allocation, and occupation by the new homeowners.”
