The ongoing controversy surrounding Kenya’s Housing Levy took a new turn today after Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome openly contradicted her junior, Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, on the nature of the levy.
While PS Hinga, on March 24, 2023, had assured Kenyans that the Housing Fund was a savings scheme that guaranteed contributors either a home or a refund after seven years, CS Wahome today dismissed that position, stating that the levy is, in fact, a tax meant to fund the construction of affordable houses.
Lands CS Alice Wahome during a past media presser. Photo: Alice Wahome Source: Facebook
“The Housing Levy is not a saving; it is a tax. It is a contribution to help build affordable houses. The money you are contributing is not supposed to give you a house. After that, it is you to buy the house,” Wahome stated.
Her remarks have reignited debate over the controversial fund, with Kenyans questioning whether the government misled them into accepting deductions from their salaries.
Many had trusted PS Hinga’s assurances that they would either own homes or get their money back with interest, but Wahome’s latest declaration paints a different picture one that confirms suspicions that the levy is nothing more than a mandatory tax.
Lands CS Alice Wahome addressing a gathering. Photo: Alice Wahome Source: Facebook
Political analysts and civil society groups have already seized on the contradiction, accusing the government of lacking a clear and honest policy on the Housing Levy.
Opposition leaders have also weighed in, with many calling for an immediate suspension of the deductions until a proper framework is established.
The public uproar over the Housing Levy has been mounting since its introduction, with critics arguing that the government is forcing Kenyans to fund a project with no clear benefits.
With today’s conflicting statements from senior officials, the mistrust is only set to deepen, leaving many wondering whether they will ever see the returns they were promised.
