by the thieving UhuRuto government.
Housing can be looked at as a process and a product. And there are local and international instruments that underscore the right to housing as a fundamental right. For example Article 43 (1)b of the Constitution of Kenya provides specifically that every Kenyan has a right to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation.
There are philosophies around housing provision viz: welfare (social housing) approach and market approach.
Habitat for Humanity notes the housing deficit in Kenya stands at 2 million and continues to grow at a rate of 200K per year.
Now that you know what housing is (this is where you say thank you Mak) and what the law says. The drafters of the constitution added this section
Article 21 (2) states The State shall take legislative, policy and other measures, including the setting of standards, to achieve the progressive realisation of the rights guaranteed under Article 43.
and while I am no lawyer, it is my belief that the government is riding on this provision to implement a housing levy in the pretext of financing housing ( I have learnt this is not the case. The stupid people in government are relying on HousingAct17of1953 (1) (pdf)! in developing these regulations). In the context of (local) economic development, this levy would be viewed as a method of capital formation. But having said so, I think it would only make sense if the government reduced massive leaks through corruption, was transparent in how it spends our money, reduced its expenditure among others. Short of the above, it does seem this government is only keen in increasing the money available to be stolen.
My countrymen and women are not amused especially if one were to check the #resisthousingfundlevy which, yours truly believes, is a flopped resistance.
But I digress.
We, the tax payers have genuine reasons to protest this levy. And it should not be construed by those in government or their mouthpieces that we have abandoned our right to adequate housing, far from it. There is good reason that this state capture by the Kenyatta family enterprise. If a government were to win a trophy for sleaze, this regime would take first place and first runners-up. It has made promises from irrigation to school laptops and failed miserably at it. It promised to house police in decent housing and has failed to do so. It is inconceivable that in the two years it has left in office that it could build 500K units. My professor makes the following observations and here where he argues among other things that the regulations are not properly thought out.
In my view, given the current economic circumstances many working people find themselves in as a result of the bad policies and habits of this government, this levy is an ill-conceived idea that should not have been left to see the light of day. While public participation in required by law, our government does not take a robust approach to meeting this requirement. It is not lost to us that the ICC duo treat the citizens with disdain and not surprising that government approach to the citizens is that of antagonism, and threats of violence.
It is time we collectively rise and send them home. We cannot be slaves to the constitution in the face of despotism waiting for the term of the government to collapse to try to do something. The time to do anything is now.
Random thoughts 