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{
    "id": 1373730,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1373730/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 237,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Alego Usonga, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Samuel Atandi",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "much. The only area where the Bill is involving counties is where the Affordable Housing Board is formed. In this Board, Council of Governors is supposed to nominate one person to it. That is the only area where counties are mentioned. On the allocation of funds, counties are not involved. There is nowhere counties will be involved in implementing these projects. According to me, the Bill still remains unconstitutional because that issue is not addressed. The other issue which I want to talk about is that most of my colleagues who have spoken from the other side, are saying that this Bill is supposed to answer the question of job creation and that these houses will give the jobs. This is the biggest fallacy and hypocrisy of the affordable housing theory. I do not know where these jobs will be found. What I have seen going on in the country is that there are a few grey, yellow and brown men from China and Turkey who are implementing these projects. I have not seen anywhere where Kenyans are going to be used to do these projects. In fact, the truth of the matter is that the motive of this affordable housing has not been revealed to Kenyans. They do not understand what all this housing is all about. If the regime wanted to use this affordable housing programme to create jobs for Kenyans, then it should have used another model. For example, it should have used labour- based approach to development of housing like what I have seen happening in Rwanda. In Rwanda, when they build houses, they use locals. They only get experts. They do not have to hire foreigners to come and build houses and then Kenyans become labourers. We cannot sit here and pass a policy or a law that will make Kenyans labourers to Chinese and then start shouting of how we are creating jobs. The last time I checked, when the President was commissioning some of these projects, I saw hungry looking Kenyans on those sites. I do not even think they are even paid. You know how colonialism is going to apply in this affordable housing. Let us get serious and stop this argument that these things are going to give Kenyans jobs. If we are going to ask Kenyans to go to these mjengos (construction sites) and earn Ksh100 per day, and then a President shouting saying that he is creating jobs, this is the biggest fallacy that this House should never entertain. The other issue that I wanted to talk about is on Part 3 which is talking about the Affordable Housing Levy. Employed Kenyans are supposed to pay 1.5 per cent of their gross salary into this Fund. I have not seen anywhere where other Kenyans who are not in employment are also paying. It is not here, or if it is there, I should be shown. My understanding of the court decision was that this affordable housing was discriminatory. That only employed people were the ones supposed to pay into it. How are you correcting that? You are still asking only employed Kenyans to pay. The employed Kenyans have spoken. They have said they do not have additional income to support this programme. If the people who are supposed to pay for it are saying no, why is this autocratic Bill being forced down the throats of Kenyans? I oppose this Bill because it is forcing employed Kenyans to pay for something which they do not need. Personally, I do not need this thing, I am employed. Many other people in my family are employed and they do not need it. This is dictatorship and this House should never allow itself to be used to pass dictatorial policies. I also wanted to say that it is true Kenyans may want affordable houses. However, is it the most important priority? As a House, we need to pass policies and laws that Kenyans want prioritised. In my view, I do not think this is a priority. Some people sat somewhere and decided that we need to collect resources from Kenyans, build houses and eat. In the end, this is going to be the biggest scandal in the history of Kenya. It will be a bigger scandal than the Goldenberg and the Eurobond where money was borrowed and it never reached our country. When the Auditor-General, Ouko, said that the Eurobond funds were stolen, some people did not accept or agree. I predict that this Affordable Housing Programme will be a bigger scandal meant to benefit a few people in State House. This is a fact which must be highlighted. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor"
}