Uhuru meets MPs, Cotu over affordable housing

President Uhuru Kenyatta

President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday met a bipartisan group of Parliament and labour leaders to discuss the road map towards the realisation of affordable housing, a key pillar in his Big Four development blueprint.

In the meeting held at State House in Nairobi and attended by Deputy President William Ruto, members of the National Assembly, the Senate and COTU, were taken through the steps the Government is taking to deliver the envisaged 500,000 housing units over the next five years.

A tax on salaried employees to finance the project has caused uproar with questions being asked on how the beneficiaries will be determined.

Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli led the union team.

The deliberations covered a wide array of aspects needed to lower the cost of housing in the country, including the escalating cost of land, provision of supporting infrastructure, anchor legislation and financing among other key considerations.

Speaking at the meeting, Uhuru urged the leaders to engage actively with the programme with a view to making it better because Kenyans deserve good quality and affordable houses.

While briefing the leaders, the CS for Transport James Macharia informed them that the meeting was part of ongoing stakeholder engagement and public participation activities which are both constitutional requirements and international best practices.

Ruto asked the leaders to support the housing programme by being its biggest champions in their respective constituencies.