President William Ruto was on Thursday welcomed by Cabinet Secretary Wycliffe Oparanya to Funyula Constituency, where they inspected the ongoing construction of the 955-unit Funyula Affordable Housing Project — an initiative meant to boost local employment and provide modern housing for residents.

During the event, Oparanya made remarks that quickly stirred debate across the country. Speaking on the importance of embracing urbanisation and freeing up rural land for agriculture, he said:

“We want you to leave your farms at home, buy and live in the affordable houses, so that the farms can be used for farming. Don't cry that there is your mother's or father's grave, give birth to a child and call him your mother or father so you can remember them through the child. It is not a must for you to live at the farm to remember your parents by seeing their graves.”

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His statement sparked a storm of reactions online, with many Kenyans accusing him of being out of touch with cultural values and the deep attachment communities have to ancestral land.

Mixed Reactions from Kenyans Online

A number of social media users interpreted Oparanya’s statement as an attempt to push citizens away from their rural heritage.

“Our parents’ graves aren’t obstacles to development. They’re sacred ground — a reminder of who we are. Development that disconnects people from their roots isn’t progress, it’s cultural erasure,” wrote @azdarghalar on X (formerly Twitter).

Another user, @AdhiamboKE, went even further, describing the remarks as “colonial ghoulish thinking,” adding that “Kenyan people, your land is wealth — it’s a bank. Don’t let them take even an inch.”

Similarly, @kaurajohn challenged the CS to lead by example:

“Since you’re a leader, show us a good example by leaving your mansion and going to live in those affordable houses. Once you do that, we will follow.”

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Others echoed the same sentiment, questioning whether the push for affordable housing was an indirect way of grabbing farmland. @poverty_check bluntly asked, “Why? So you can grab the farms?”

Supporters Defend Oparanya’s Message

Not everyone disagreed. A section of Kenyans defended Oparanya, arguing that his message was being taken out of context.

@duncans_twitt praised the statement as progressive:

“This is spot on. Kenya must urbanise to grow. It must desist from its colonial rural mindset. However, this transformation must be done in a smarter manner.”

Some interpreted the remarks as a call to balance tradition and progress — urging citizens to see value in affordable housing without abandoning cultural heritage entirely.

A Broader Debate on Kenya’s Future

The controversy has reignited a wider national conversation on what the Kenyan Dream truly means. Media personality Njeri Waridi posed the question:

“What are our values? What are our aspirations as a people? For as long as we don’t address this, we shall keep living other people’s dreams — in this case, wealthy people are clamouring to own ranches.”