President William Ruto has continued his campaign for the affordable housing project insisting the program will create jobs for unemployed youth in the country.
Speaking during the groundbreaking of Kianjai Market in his tour of Meru County, Ruto said the housing project is a deliberate government initiative to create employment for young people in Kenya.
“We have already created around 40 sites around the country. We plan to build 10,000 houses in Phase 1 and we need 20,000 young people to work on those sites. That housing program needs architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, plumbers, carpenters, masons, steel fixers, and handymen.”
Ruto also stated that the government plans to build ICT hubs in every ward in the country to provide digital jobs, adding that his trips abroad have yielded results with countries like the USA, Germany, and UAE agreeing to provide 500,000 jobs for Kenyans.
“We have changed the law. I have signed a new CDF law that allows for the building of ICT hubs in every ward in Kenya equipped with computers and internet. Training for the jobs will be done in one or two months to enable youths to do digital jobs and earn money.”
Ruto was in the company of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza, Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi, and Cooperatives and SMEs Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui.
He also launched the Ngusishi Potato Cold Storage Facility to reduce post-harvest losses, eliminate brokers, and stabilize potato prices for the benefit of farmers.
Challenges facing the affordable housing project
The government’s affordable housing project has faced hurdles since the very beginning, including legal battles.
The state initially wanted to deduct 3 percent from salaried Kenyans but it was later reduced to 1.5 percent after an uproar from Kenyans and stakeholders.
In early January this year, the President went on a rant against the judiciary claiming that some court officials were corrupt, saying they conspired with people with vested interests to derail government development plans like the housing project.
Nakuru County also launched finished affordable houses this month calling for Kenyans to buy the houses starting with a Ksh 315,000 or Ksh 425,000 deposit for two-bedroom and three-bedroom houses respectively.
However, Kenyans questioned the high cost, saying it was not affordable for ordinary people like mama mbogas and boda boda riders. Ruto later added that 20 percent of the units would be set aside for low-income earners.
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