The Senate wants the government to account for every stage of President William Ruto’s multibillion-shilling Affordable Housing Programme, with lawmakers seeking detailed records of construction costs, public expenditure and the allocation of completed homes in all 47 counties.
The proposed inquiry will examine whether the initiative is delivering value for money, including how much individual projects were expected to cost, what has actually been spent and whether finished houses are occupied by their intended beneficiaries.
Marsabit Senator Mohammed Chute has asked the Senate Housing Committee to investigate the programme’s implementation and establish how housing investments are being managed across the country.
The initiative is partly financed through a mandatory housing levy of 1.5 per cent deducted from workers’ salaries, placing the use of the funds under scrutiny as senators seek a clearer account of project spending and management.
Chute wants the committee to examine the work of County Rural and Urban Affordable Housing Committees in each of the 47 counties, including whether they are operating as required and have developed plans to guide housing investment.
“The committee should address the operational status of County Rural and Urban Affordable Housing Committees in each of the 47 counties,” Chute said.
He called for details on the membership of the committees, when each was established and whether they had prepared five-year affordable housing investment programmes for their respective counties.
“This includes their composition, respective dates of establishment, and whether the committees have developed five-year affordable housing investment programmes for their respective counties,” he said.
The Affordable Housing Act assigns the county committees the responsibility of coordinating housing investments and ensuring that projects address the needs of local communities.
The Senate inquiry is expected to establish whether the committees are carrying out these duties and whether the required investment plans are in place to guide housing development.
Chute has also called for a comparison of the initial estimated cost of each completed housing project against the final expenditure. He wants senators to establish whether the costs remained within the approved budgets and determine the status of houses that have already been completed.
The review would also cover the criteria used to select people who receive the houses, with the senator seeking details on how beneficiaries are identified and units allocated.
“The committee must provide the original cost vis-à-vis the actual project cost for each completed affordable housing, occupation status of the housing units under the project and the criteria used to identify allottees of completed housing units,” Chute said.
In addition, he wants the Ministry of Housing to submit an itemised breakdown of approved budgets for the projects and the money spent so far.
The information would enable the committee to assess individual projects against their planned costs and establish how much has been spent during implementation.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot has supported the proposed investigation, arguing that Parliament had already passed the legislation required to facilitate the government's housing plans.
He said the Senate should now focus on holding the Executive accountable for how the programme is being implemented and addressing questions raised by lawmakers.
“What remains for us is to ask questions, such as what Senator Chute has asked. I agree with him 100 per cent, and I do that, and I am for all of us speaking to it,” he said.
However, the Kericho senator cautioned against turning the debate into a political dispute, saying criticism of a government initiative should not automatically be treated as opposition activity.
“I see that a lot with our colleagues from the Minority side, who imagine that critiquing a government programme is akin to doing opposition work,” he said.
The proposed audit places the Affordable Housing Programme under renewed scrutiny over how money is spent, how projects are managed and whether completed homes are reaching the people they were intended to serve.
The inquiry would cover implementation across the 47 counties, with senators seeking information on the work of county housing committees, the preparation of investment plans, construction costs and the occupation of completed units.
By requiring a breakdown of project budgets and actual expenditure, Chute wants the Housing Committee to establish the financial position of individual developments rather than rely solely on overall programme figures.
The committee is also being asked to examine the process used to allocate completed homes, bringing the selection of beneficiaries into the wider review of accountability and programme management.