Housing Committee Engages Ministry on Approriation of Housing Levy

The Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works has put to task the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development regarding the appropriation of the Housing Levy.

Led by the Committee Chairperson, Hon. Johana Ng’eno, the legislators probed the Ministry on the administration of housing levy and role of the Fund’s implementing agencies.

Hon. Ng’eno advised the Principal Secretary,State Department for Housing, Mr. Charles Hinga to have the Board draft budgetary proposals and to regularly apprise the Committee on the progress made in that cause.

“The Board needs to sit down to develop a five-year plan for approval by this Committee which will then unlock most of the activities under their mandate,” said Hon. Ng’eno.

Appearing before the Committee, the Cabinet Secretary Ms. Alice Wahome informed the Members that since the Housing Act was enacted recently, the Ministry was awaiting the finalization of the Regulations before operationalizing the Affordable Housing Fund.

Members of the Committee were further informed that the Board serves as the administrator, and that the implementing agencies are as listed in the First Schedule to the Act.

According to PS Hinga, the funds shall be domiciled in the State Departments then disbursed to the implementing agencies who shall be held accountable on the funds they receive. He further informed the legislators that all applications for funding will be processed by the Board.

Hon. Ng’eno expressed concerns regarding the cuts effected on the budget of the State Department for Public Works, which has suffered a reduction of Kshs. 86M in the supplementary II for the 2023/24 Financial Year, and a further Kshs. 1Billion in the Budget Estimates for 2024/25 Financial Year.

Hon. Ng’eno urged the CS to balance support between the two State Departments.

“We can’t allow usage of other agencies if not the State Department for Public Works,” reiterated Hon. Ng’eno.

Meanwhile, Committee Vice-Chair and Buuri MP, Hon. Rindikiri Mugambi sought to know from the Ministry why there was an influx of cases of collapsed buildings across the country.

“You owe Kenyans a clear explanation on collapsing buildings. You also need to tell the public what the Ministry is doing to address the menace,” Hon. Rindikiri pointed out.

With regards to the operations of the State Department for Public Works, the CS disclosed that the Department had suffered a blow at the onset of devolution,when its buildings and some staff were absorbed by the County Governments.

She assured the Committee that the two State Departments had a found a way of working together and requested for Parliamentary support towards enhancing the capacity of the Departments.

As the Project Manager for the Housing Project, the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Public Works, Mr. Joel Arumonyang appealed to the Committee for support on capacity building to facilitate the realization of the Housing agenda.