How housing levy is quickly becoming Ruto's 2027 campaign slogan

 President William Ruto during a meeting with over 10,000 teacheers at state house. [File, Standard]

When President William Ruto hosted teachers at State House recently, the meeting ended with more than just nice pleasantries, developments rhetoric and good food. It ended with a carrot. He signed a MoU with teachers, which will guarantee them 20 percent of the houses under the affordable housing programme. His reasoning was that since teachers contribute more than 13 percent of the levy, they deserved a larger slice of the pie.

This came hot on the heels of other promises to other groups, including the police and even Harambee Stars, who had also been assured priority access to the new units. The list of “special beneficiaries” is growing very fast. But with each new pledge, one uncomfortable question lingers so what percentage of houses would actually remain for mama mboga, the boda boda rider, the mjengo worker, the jua kali artisan, and the slum dweller—the very people the President promised that the levy was originally meant to uplift?