Affordable Housing: Ruto's Plan Unfair to Low-Income Earners, Says Canada-Based Lucy Jeffrey
- Canada-based Kenyan journalist Lucy Jeffrey has criticised the forced salary deductions tied to the government’s housing programme
- She shared concerns raised by a teacher already paying a mortgage but still being taxed for a house she does not need
- Jeffrey proposed reforms, including exempting low-income earners and engaging Kenyans abroad in policy discussions
TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya
A growing wave of criticism is meeting President William Ruto’s affordable housing project, with a new voice joining from across the globe.
Source: Facebook
Canada-based journalist and aspiring Westlands MP Lucy Jeffrey has called for a review of how the policy is being implemented, warning that it risks hurting the very people it intends to help.
In a Facebook post, Jeffrey, who previously taught in Kenyan high schools, said the idea of affordable housing is noble, but the approach taken so far has created inequality.
She criticised the mandatory salary deductions imposed on workers without their consent, particularly affecting low-income earners who are already financially strained.
“I love affordable housing and how beautiful they look. But I’ve expressed my concerns before: one, Kenyans are getting deducted from salaries without their consent, even those with low-incomes; and two, there’s no clear guarantee that the people being taxed will actually get a house,” she wrote.
To illustrate the impact on ordinary Kenyans, Jeffrey shared a message she received from a teacher under the Teachers’ Service Commission. .
Are teachers suffering from affordable housing taxes?
The teacher explained that she took a KSh 4 million loan in 2022 to build her own house.
With a net salary below KSh 38,000, she expressed frustration at being taxed again for a government house she neither wants nor needs.
“For what? Do I really need the government house when I already have one? Then why not give relief to those already having mortgage?” the teacher asked.
Jeffrey urged Ruto to listen to Kenyans' frustrations and adopt a more inclusive and balanced policy.
What policies can Kenya implement on affordable housing?
She suggested that wealthier citizens could shoulder the housing deductions instead of low earners and referenced the Singapore model, where the wealthy contribute more to support the less fortunate.
She also recommended looking into Canada’s tax structure, where people earning below KSh 1 million annually are exempt from taxation.
In addition, she proposed creating virtual consultative forums for the Kenyan diaspora, who could share policy insights based on experiences from more developed countries.
“Research what they do in Singapore. The wealthy pays to support the poor. But in Kenya, it seems the poor are paying to support the wealthy. Please resarch what Canada does. All employees earning up to 11,000 a year (approximately KSh 1 million) do not pay taxes," she added.
Jeffrey emphasised the need to move beyond short benchmarking trips by government officials and tap into the vast expertise of skilled Kenyans abroad who are invested in the country’s progress.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
