The Budget and Appropriations Committee in the National Assembly chaired by Ndindi Nyoro has questioned the effectiveness of the Affordable Housing Project benefits to the youth.
President William Ruto launched the construction of the affordable houses as part of his flagship projects intending to replenish housing units as well as creating jobs for the youth.
In the Report on the Consideration of the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the 2024/25 Financial Year released on Thursday, the committee hailed the project's goal of creating quality jobs and reducing unemployment countrywide.
However, the committee noted the lack of a framework to guarantee that the youth would be integrated into the affordable housing project.
Also, the appropriations committee observed that the country lacked framework to ensure that locally manufactured materials are given first priority during the construction process.
"The Affordable Housing programme is expected to create quality jobs for youths directly in the construction sector and indirectly throughout the building material value chain. This will be achieved by supporting the capacity of Jua Kali to produce high-quality construction by linking it with technical and vocational education institutions and formalizing Jua Kali clusters to provide products such as doors, hinges, and windows," read the report in part.
"The Committee expressed concerns that there are no specific resources provided to integrate the youth and the Jua Kali sector into the affordable housing ecosystem. There is also no concrete framework to govern the use of local materials and labor.
Ruto, on numerous occasions, revealed that since taking over the reins in 2022, the project has employed over 140,000 youth directly with the goal of increasing the number.
The project is also aimed at delivering 200,000 units every year in an effort to bridge the housing deficit experienced across the country.
He argued that lower earners and individuals living in lower-income neighbourhoods were disadvantaged in accessing basic housing needs.
According to the Federation of Kenya Employers, the unemployment rate in the 15 to 34 year olds category suffers the worst unemployment rate at 67 per cent.
"Although the overall unemployment in Kenya is at 12.7 percent, Youth (15 – 34-year-olds), who form 35 percent of the Kenyan population, have the highest unemployment rate of 67 percent," FKE states.
"Over one million young people enter into the labour market annually without any skills some having either dropped out of school or completed school and not enrolled in any college."
Meanwhile, Ruto promised to invest at least Sh500 billion in the financial years 2023-2027 in the agriculture sector and the small and medium enterprises to boost employment rates.
