Tuesday, January 30, 2024 - Professional bodies have proposed three main changes to the Affordable Housing Bill to address existing legal and constitutional loopholes in President William Ruto's program.
While appearing before a joint National Assembly committee
on Monday, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) expressed that the drafted bill does
not address the use of public land in the construction of the houses.
Through its representative, Vincent Ombaka, LSK pushed for
the government to compensate Kenyans for public land used to construct the
houses.
According to Ombaka, Kenyans will not benefit from the
revenue generated through the sale of the houses if the bill passes without
amendments.
“There is a need for the committee to address any aspects of
constitutionality in this bill. For instance, how do you compensate for
commercial use of the land even where the parcel in question is public?” he posed.
On the other hand, the Architects Alliance of Kenya called
on the government to review the design of the houses.
Former Senator Sylvia Kasanga, who was representing the
architects, argued that the designs need to incorporate green
spaces owing to their benefits to mental health.
Concerning inclusivity, religious leaders expressed that the
current model does not incorporate religious views on mortgages/ loans for
homes.
According to Westminister Consulting, Muslims are likely to
opt out of Ruto's projects given that they will be offered in mortgages for
Kenyans who cannot purchase houses with one payment. This contravenes Islamic
financial principles.
In the mortgage plan, Kenyans will be required to pay a 10
per cent deposit and pay the rest of the amount spread out over 10-20 years.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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