The concept of affordable homes is an excellent one.
The big question is: how it can be achieved in a manner that the government can afford? What the government is doing is, yes, part of the Big Four agenda, but the problem is one of affordability.
The concept is good but the practicality at this moment is zero. It sounds wonderful when it is done for the audience but the government is so strapped for cash in general.
When the government promises something huge like that, affordable housing, it means that it will have to finance it from somewhere.
Yes, it is a good idea but where are the resources going to come from?
We have already been on a spending spree over the last two years with increasing public debt. We cannot get out and fund the Big Four with all that debt.
We are stuck between the rock and a hard place because the concept is a good one but the only option is a narrow one in the middle of massive inflation.
The cost of living is likely to increase massively because of the projected rain failure.
If that stretches forward for the rest of the year, then basically the prices of basic items will rise. Any additional cost would be unreasonable to the extent of being callous. Kenyans are suffering enough as it is at this moment.
So to add any further strain onto the average Kenyan, when they are already battling with high food prices, is totally insane and should be withdrawn.
How many meals can you squeeze out of yourself to cough up the tax? That would be really insensitive because really that is going to be a tax.
The government should be careful not to increase the burden of the cost of living.
The situation is tight and it is going to get worse.
This tax proposal must be suspended or withdrawn altogether. It should not be implemented for the time being because the country and the people can not just take it.
I don’t think it is reasonable for the government to put more pressure on the struggling Kenyans unless they want to risk social fluidity at this fragile time.
The economic expert spoke to the Star
