His argument cuts to the core of the controversy surrounding the mandatory housing levy deducted from workers’ payslips.
Natembeya points out that the Affordable Housing Programme was formally introduced in 2017 without imposing a compulsory levy on salaried employees.
At the time, the initiative relied on budgetary allocations, partnerships, and voluntary participation rather than direct deductions from workers’ incomes.
According to the governor, this distinction matters because it shows that the programme was never designed to burden employees as a financing shortcut.
He argues that the present framework has shifted the weight of housing development onto government workers and other salaried Kenyans, many of whom are already grappling with rising taxes, stagnant wages, and the high cost of living.
Payslips, once a reflection of stable earnings, have steadily shrunk as new deductions take hold, leaving households with less disposable income month after month.
Natembeya’s critique goes beyond policy mechanics. He frames the housing levy as a symbol of a broader governance problem, where ambitious promises are sustained by squeezing ordinary citizens rather than improving efficiency, cutting waste, or prioritising economic growth. In his view, development narratives lose credibility when they depend on coercive contributions from people who are already stretched thin.
The governor also questions the political messaging surrounding the levy, arguing that comparisons to global success stories ring hollow when local realities are ignored.
For many workers, the promise of future home ownership feels distant and uncertain, while the deductions are immediate and unavoidable.
As the housing levy continues to face legal, economic, and political scrutiny, Natembeya’s remarks echo a growing public sentiment: development must be felt in people’s lives, not just announced in policy documents.
0 Comments