The Senate has launched an inquiry into the implementation of the Affordable Housing Programme, President William Ruto’s multibillion-shilling flagship project.
Lawmakers have demanded a project-by-project audit of expenditure, construction costs, the allocation of completed units and the programme’s management across the 47 counties.
Marsabit Senator Mohammed Chute petitioned the Senate’s Housing Committee to establish whether the government is delivering value for money through the programme.
The programme is partly funded through a mandatory housing levy of 1.5 per cent deducted from workers’ salaries.
“The committee should address the operational status of County Rural and Urban Affordable Housing Committees in each of the 47 counties,” Chute said.
“This includes their composition, respective dates of establishment, and whether the committees have developed five-year affordable housing investment programmes for their respective counties,” he said.
Under the Affordable Housing Act, the committees are expected to coordinate housing investments and ensure projects respond to local needs.
Chute said the inquiry should establish the original estimated costs of individual projects against their actual costs. It should also determine the occupancy status of completed units.
“The committee must provide the original cost vis-à-vis the actual project cost for each completed affordable housing, occupation status of the housing units under the project and the criteria used to identify allottees of completed housing units,” Chute said.
Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot backed the inquiry, saying the House had done its part by approving all the supporting legislation required for the Executive to implement the project.
“What remains for us is to ask questions, such as what Senator Chute has asked. I agree with him 100 per cent, and I do that, and I am for all of us speaking to it,” he said.
The Kericho Senator, however, warned against attempts to politicise the programme.
“I see that a lot with our colleagues from the Minority side, who imagine that critiquing a government programme is akin to doing opposition work,” he said.
The demands place the multibillion-shilling programme under fresh legislative scrutiny amid questions about expenditure, transparency and whether the houses are reaching the low-income households they were intended to benefit.
Chute also wants the Ministry of Housing to provide an itemised breakdown of approved project budgets and actual expenditure incurred so far.
“The Ministry of Housing must provide an itemised breakdown of estimated budgets against actual expenditures incurred so far,” he said.
He also challenged the ministry to explain the safeguards in place to ensure transparency and value for money, particularly in selecting project locations and involving county governments and local communities.
“What measures have been put to ensure transparency and value for money, including details of the extent of which local communities, county governments and other stakeholders have been involved…”
“…. in identification of the location and other relevant aspects to ensure the projects address unique needs of the Kenyan people.”
The senator’s demands also target the programme’s financial obligations. The committee is expected to establish the outstanding bills, funding arrangements and contractors involved in the construction projects.
The disclosure could clarify the extent of the government’s financial commitments to developers and whether outstanding payments threaten the timely completion of housing projects.
The programme is a central pillar of the government’s economic transformation agenda, with a target of constructing 250,000 housing units annually.
Ruto has promoted the initiative as a means of expanding access to home ownership, improving living conditions in informal settlements and creating jobs in the construction industry.
However, questions remain about the affordability of completed units, the transparency of beneficiary selection and the extent to which the programme reflects the priorities of individual counties.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The Senate inquiry puts the government’s flagship housing programme under scrutiny over transparency, accountability and value for money. With workers contributing through the mandatory housing levy, questions about expenditure, construction costs and beneficiary selection are central to assessing the programme’s implementation. The inquiry will examine whether the initiative is delivering affordable homes to its intended beneficiaries and how public funds are being managed. Its findings could influence public confidence in the programme and future housing policy.
