President William Ruto has opened up to Kenyans why he is pushing for the Housing Fund.
Ruto on Friday said that the creation of employment is what's driving him to introduce the plans to Kenyans.
"The real motivation behind it (housing project) is the jobs we are going to create for the young people of Kenya. Ni kuhakikisha kwamba vijana wanapata ajira (This is to ensure youths are employed), " he said.
For every house, Ruto revealed that the government will need five youths to help with construction.
"For the 5,000 houses in Embu, we will need 25,000 youth for the work. Creating jobs is not a game of guesswork, it has to be planned," he added.
He was speaking at Embu University during the SMEs, Cooperatives and Revenue Expo.
The President emphasized that housing is his first agenda. He said the government will then plan on the availability of jobs then move to the industry, and enhance manufacturing.
This, according to Ruto, will ensure that products are locally produced.
"We want the cement to be manufactured in Kenya, everything will be made in Kenya," he said.
During the campaign period, Ruto said the affordable housing project would be a long-term housing finance scheme that would incorporate a National Housing Fund and Cooperative Social Housing Schemes.
He said this would in effect wrestle the provision of homes to Kenyans from private developers and make it a preserve of Kenyans.
Towards this end, Ruto said every salaried Kenyan will have to make a three per cent monthly contribution countered with a similar contribution by employers to the National Housing Fund.
"That money is yours and not tax, all that money belongs to the people. This is a programme that we cannot fail to do because it provided jobs for the millions of young people leaving our learning institutions," Ruto said.
The government, however, has faced criticism from the opposition as well as the public over the high cost of living.
This week, the government's move to issue a clarification on the controversial affordable housing project, to which it will be mandatory for salaried citizens to contribute, has received a backlash from some Kenyans who want the agenda dropped.
Opposition chief Raila Odinga has on various occasions told President Ruto that the cost of living needed to be relooked at because, at the moment, people are suffering.
He said Kenyans cannot be taxed to the bone just because of Kenya Kwanza’s internal weaknesses.
In addition, Raila has asked President Ruto to institute far-reaching reforms in his administration to tackle the high cost of living.
