Nairobi – In a move stirring both support and sharp concern, Kenya’s Council of Governors (CoG) has thrown its weight behind President William Ruto’s plan to expand the use of the affordable housing levy. The proposal? Use part of the funds not just to build homes but to put up markets and other key public facilities in new housing areas.
At a press briefing in Nairobi, CoG Chairman Ahmed Abdullahi, who also serves as the Governor of Wajir, said the strategy was about more than bricks and mortar.
“Markets are an essential social infrastructure,” Abdullahi said. “They contribute to the economic wellbeing in those areas where the houses have been put up.”
The governors’ endorsement follows a recent high-level meeting with President Ruto, where both sides reportedly agreed that for the housing programme to work, broader infrastructure was needed. This includes roads, clean water, schools, hospitals and yes, markets.
“We believe that integrated settlements are the future,” Abdullahi said. “It’s not enough to build houses. You must give people a community.”
But not everyone is convinced.
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) has voiced strong opposition, warning that stretching the use of the levy could be legally questionable. Francis Atwoli, COTU’s longtime Secretary-General, said the move could open the door to mismanagement.
“We cannot allow these funds to be used outside their intended purpose,” Atwoli told reporters. “The law is clear this money was meant for housing, not for every other government project.”
COTU has expressed concerns that current housing regulations contain gaps that Parliament might exploit to divert funds. Atwoli has called for stricter oversight to ensure the programme stays focused on delivering affordable homes.
The government, however, insists that housing without infrastructure is short-sighted. Officials say markets, schools and hospitals are part of what makes a neighbourhood liveable.
“We are not changing the mission,” said a senior government official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We are enhancing it. A house without water, roads, or a market is just a shell.”
Legal experts say the dispute may ultimately end up in court, especially if Parliament moves to formalise the expanded scope of the levy.
For now, the governors are standing firm.
“If we are serious about affordable housing, we must be serious about what makes housing work,” said Abdullahi. “We are not just building homes—we are building communities.”
The debate taps into a larger national conversation about how far public funds should stretch, and who gets to decide where and how they’re spent. As Parliament resumes debate on the programme’s framework, all eyes will be on how the government balances ambition with accountability.
