Editor's Review

Hinga noted that the President supported imposing a fine of Ksh20 million or a 10-year jail sentence to ensure the project is not characterised by graft.

President William Ruto has addressed concerns by some senior government officials who approached him over the Affordable Housing Project.

Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga noted that some individuals approached Ruto and asked him to drop the housing agenda as it was making him unpopular.

However, Ruto dismissed their concerns indicating that he was ready to go home in the 2027 Presidential Elections for doing the right thing.

The President insisted that the housing agenda is a top priority in the country and it will define his legacy.

"There are people who went to see the President and said this thing is very unpopular, drop it because it might make you a one-term President," Hinga stated during an interview on Citizen TV on Wednesday, March 20.

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File image of Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga. PHOTO | COURTESY

"He looked us in the eye and said I am prepared to be a one-term president if doing the right thing is what is going to make me a one-term president," he added.

Hinga noted that the President supported imposing a fine of Ksh20 million or a 10-year jail sentence to ensure the project is not characterised by graft.

According to the PS, it was important for the punishment to also be anchored in law to discourage any misappropriation of government funds, as opposed to the past where public officials charged with corruption have, more often than not, always walked away scot-free.

“The (Affordable Housing) Act imposes serious penalties on anyone who is going to misappropriate the money. It is Ksh20 million fine or 10 years in jail or both. In the past, the issue was that the penalty was not punitive enough to deter (corruption),” he stated.

“There is a board that is going to be superintending over these funds, and it has a very wide representation. A workers representative from COTU sits on the board, representation from the employers that is FKE sits on the board, the counties representation which is the CoG sits on the board, and then we have three independent directors and a Chairperson who is also independent.”

On Tuesday, President William Ruto signed the Affordable Housing Bill into law paving the way for deductions and implementation.