Kenyans furious as Housing PS reveals ‘lottery scheme’ on cheap houses
By Peter MburuKenyans have been angered by the government’s affordable housing programme after it emerged that a lottery system will be applied to determine who is eligible to own the houses.
Under the programme, the State, through the Ministry of Housing wants employers to deduct 1.5 per cent of staff basic salaries and remit it to Kenya Revenue Authority.
Employers are also expected to match their employee’s contributions.
The government intends to construct 500,000 housing units in the next three and a half years, against the three million people on payroll, who will contribute towards the scheme.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court has since temporarily suspended the programme.
Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga, in an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday night, shocked Kenyans by declaring that the government will rely on a lottery scheme to determine who gets a house.
“One has to register besides contributing before a house is allocated to them. A lottery system will be used to determine who gets a house,” said Mr Hinga.
PS Charles Hinga: One has to register and start contributing before a house is allocated to them. A lottery system will be used to determine who gets a house#NewsNight pic.twitter.com/UzJJaQ4ZNk
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) April 23, 2019
Asked why people who already own houses or have other existing arrangements of owning houses should be forced to contribute, PS Hinga said they can as well own more than one and donate to other people.
Kenyans online dismissed the programme as ‘yet another pyramid scheme’.
“Lottery system?! So I have my salary deducted, a house is constructed/bought whatever it is, then am exposed to a lottery where I loose. God intervene!” Reuben Zia said.
“The idea of affordable housing was and is still great but corruption, greed and myopic points of view have threatened it’s mortality right from conception,” Mr Sam Kaunda said on twitter.
“Simply stated, we don’t trust you with the money. And what of those who already have a house?A mortgage?” asked Francis Karweru.