The Affordable Housing Bill was signed into law by President Ruto on Tuesday.
This is not popular. It will add 1.5 percent to monthly tax deductions from the employee which will be matched by another 1.5 percent from the employer.
There is also the question of who will get the new apartments. They are indeed affordable at a price of around Sh4,000 per month but one million people live in the shacks of Kibra in Nairobi alone. The population of Kenya is already over 50 million and forecast to hit 85 million by 2050. Is it possible to build enough affordable apartments to satisfy demand?
And will it be possible to build and allocate these apartments at a competitive price without corruption?
As they say, the proof of the pudding is the eating. Build these apartments and deliver them! These affordable apartments will be the signature project of President Ruto's time in office.
If they are a failure, or invisible, that will be an unfortunate legacy. If they are a success, they will be visible all over the country and Ruto will be remembered positively long into the future.
Quote of the day: "Never believe anything in politics until it has been officially denied."
Otto von Bismarck
He was appointed Chancellor of the German Empire on March 21,1871
