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{
    "id": 878777,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/878777/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 534,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Pokot South, JP",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. David Pkosing",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 2662,
        "legal_name": "Losiakou David Pkosing",
        "slug": "losiakou-david-pkosing"
    },
    "content": "of the expectation of what a house will cost to build. We have a policy. I said it to the Budget and Appropriations Committee. What is the policy? The policy in housing is that the Government is not building houses. That is why you cannot see the money in the BPS and eventually in April, when it comes to the Budget Estimates, there will not be a lot of money allocated to housing. The Government policy is very clear that we want to encourage the private sector to build houses. Why would the Exchequer build a house that is going to be sold anyway to the people of Kenya? It is an affordable house and there are figures to that effect. What is the policy? The policy is such that we want to encourage the private sector to bring its own money to build the houses. That is the policy direction in terms of housing. What is the role of Government? The role of Government is to put up necessary facilities required in building good houses. What are these facilities? One is land, so that houses are cheaper. The private sector needs the land. The Government will look for the land. By Government, I mean both the national Government and the county government. There is a lot of collaboration between national Government and county governments in terms of delivery of affordable housing. So, the primary one is that the Government will look for land. That is a big service that is required for the private sector to build the houses. Two, if the land is far from the road the national Government and county governments provide for the road. Three, provide water. People need water. All households need water. It is the national Government or the county governments to provide water. We also provide for electricity. Once Government provides those things that I have just mentioned, the private sector can come and build the houses on the land that has been acquired by both governments. That is the policy. People will not see money in this budget. The houses are going to be standard. The houses will be drawn by national Government and the private sector will only come to build. There are many investors who have shown interest in terms of building the houses. There is only one small thing that is delaying us. The private sector has asked the Government: “If we build these houses for you and they are ready to be sold and your Kenyans are not ready to buy, where do we go? Will you hold my money?” That is why the national Government proposed, and we passed in this House, a contribution which will go to the housing fund. That housing fund is supposed to cushion or give a surety to the private sector. In case houses are built but not all are sold, the Government will buy the houses. So, we have a cushion in terms of money. That is why we had that 1.5 per cent contribution from the employer and employee. What delayed is that some people went to court. They were willing to withdraw the case. I urge them to withdraw the case so that we can move this process forward. The people of Kenya want the houses like yesterday. That is why I am pleading with them wherever they are to withdraw that case so that we are able to move forward."
}