President William Ruto has continued to defend the affordable housing programme amid uproar over the three per cent mandatory contribution saying it aims to upgrade Kenyans' living standards.
He drew parallels with Singapore whose housing standards are currently advanced saying the country was a slum like Kibera before it ventured into the housing project.
"Singapore was a slum just like Kibra, the difference between that country and us is the ability to make difficult decisions," he said.
The President was speaking during the Presidential Economic Dialogue on Value Chains at State House, Nairobi.
The head of State said the Asian country made a difficult decision and that's why they are where they are now.
Ruto added that currently, 85 per cent of citizens in Singapore own homes compared to Kenya where only five per cent are home owners.
"We don't want to make a decision on housing yet we want to be like Singapore and we have been celebrating them. I really want us as government to embrace this," he said.
Ruto added that he was amazed to have received Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong in May and discussed the housing issue.
“I'm very amazed I received the Prime Minister of Singapore. The great place we keep talking about, you know, they were with us, we were in the same place in 1963 today it is in the first world,” he said.
On Thursday during Madaraka Day celebrations in Embu County, Ruto said Housing Fund is beneficial on two fronts; job creation and elevating living standards.
He said the affordable housing project if fully implemented will create one million jobs annually.
"Many countries are struggling in vain to generate a national debate on public financing, taxation and policy issues. In Kenya, we have easily sustained intense discourse on the Finance Bill and affordable housing for weeks now. The debate has remained issue-oriented and there is no hint of divisive ethnic rhetoric at all," he said.
