Ruto aide Farouk Kibet criticises Gachagua’s plan to scrap housing levy if elected

Farouk Kibet with UDA Secretary General Hassan Omar, Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and other leaders in Isiolo on February 7, 2026/FILE

President William Ruto’s aide, Farouk Kibet, has expressed concerns over former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s pledge to abolish the housing levy if the opposition forms the next government.

He described the proposal as potentially retrogressive and cautioned that it could undermine the country’s ongoing development initiatives.

Speaking during a political and development meeting in Isiolo South, Kibet said dismantling the Affordable Housing Programme would reverse key gains made under the government’s flagship initiative and deny thousands of Kenyans opportunities for decent shelter and employment.

“Plans to scrap the housing levy are retrogressive and undermine the progress already achieved. That alone is enough reason for Kenyans to reject such leadership,” Kibet said.

He argued that the Affordable Housing Programme is not only addressing the country’s housing deficit but is also creating jobs across the construction value chain and stimulating economic growth.

“Through this programme, thousands of young people are getting employment, local businesses are growing, and many families will finally own decent homes. This is a development agenda that should be strengthened, not destroyed,” he said.

Kibet was accompanied by UDA Secretary General and Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, Isiolo Governor Abdi Guyo and several other leaders during the event, which also doubled as a political mobilisation drive ahead of the upcoming Isiolo South by-election.

The leaders also urged residents to rally behind UDA candidate Tubi Mohamed Tubi, saying the party remains committed to delivering transformative development projects at the grassroots.

The remarks come amid growing political contestation over the government’s housing agenda, with Gachagua taking a sharply critical stance against the programme.

The Democracy for Citizens Party (DCP) leader has described the housing levy as a heavy burden on workers, arguing that the mandatory 1.5 per cent salary deduction, matched by employers, has reduced disposable income at a time when many households are grappling with a high cost of living.

According to Gachagua, many salaried Kenyans feel their payslips have been “raided,” leaving them financially strained.

He has also questioned the transparency of the Affordable Housing Programme, alleging that it risks benefiting politically connected contractors more than the low-income earners it was designed to support.

Gachagua further dismissed claims that the initiative is a major job-creation engine, arguing that it has not delivered the broad public benefits initially promised by the government.

As part of his political platform ahead of the 2027 General Election, the former deputy president has vowed to scrap the housing levy if elected.

He says his administration would instead transfer completed housing units to county governments, which would manage them as rental stock. The rental income, he proposes, would then be used to gradually refund Kenyans who contributed to the housing fund.

However, Kibet warned that such a move would disrupt ongoing projects and undermine investor confidence, urging Kenyans to support continuity of the programme.

The leaders in Isiolo South also used the meeting to emphasise the government’s broader development agenda and called on residents to turn out in large numbers for the by-election, saying strong grassroots support would accelerate the delivery of key projects in the area.

The Affordable Housing Programme remains one of President Ruto’s key economic pillars, even as it continues to draw both political support and criticism across the country.