The Jua Kali sector on Sunday, May 28, declared their support for President William Ruto’s proposed 3 per cent salary deduction towards housing fund.
The informal sector workers stated their position in a statement through Jua Kali Constructors and Nairobi Market Traders Association during Finance Bill 2023 hearings.
They further registered their disappointment of not being included in the conversation during its benign stages.
“We will continue contributing to the housing fund and together as a sector, we will change the face of housing in Kenya,” the sector stated.
Through their leadership, they called out politicians and other Kenyans who were opposing the bill.
“Those opposing the Housing Fund are issuing statements from their homes in Lavington, Kileleshwa and Karen.
“We are the Mama Mbogas and most of our people are slum dwellers and we must be given the opportunity going forward to talk about the housing scheme,” they stated.
The Jua Kali sector further stated that they know the pain of poor housing and that is why they were in full support of the Affordable Housing Programme introduced by the President.
They registered their fears though that they could be short-changed through the programme.
“If these houses are for low-income people, let them remain for low-income people,” they begged the President.
The endorsement by the Jua Kali sector came a day after Trade Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria revealed that 30,000 Kenyans had already started saving towards the scheme.
“Did you know that 30,000 Kenyans have been contributing to the Housing Fund already? They have raised Ksh1.8 billion already,” Kuria stated.
He further stated that his ministry had started working on a framework to increase the figure.
“With gearing I can get investors to multiply this to Ksh45 billion of houses which is 25 times and 18,000 houses at a cost of Ksh2.5 million,” he told Kenyans.
