State Department for Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga has faulted Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga for going against the proposed Housing Fund.
Speaking on Monday May 29 during an interview with Spice FM, Hinga revealed that the proposed housing fund was originally Raila’s proposal.
Hinga claimed that Raila paid him a visit at his home in South Africa in 2012, and they talked about Kenya’s housing crisis.
Hinga noted that the ODM leader was worried and passionate about the issue of Kenyans living in informal settlements, and he assisted him in convincing other leaders to support the fee.
“I hosted the former Prime Minister way back in 2012 at my home in South Africa where we discussed the housing problem in Kenya. Raila was very passionate about the plight of Kenyans living in informal settlements. The person that helped me convince Atwoli and Sossion to support the Housing fund in the past regime was the former Prime Minister,” he stated.
Hinga also stated that during the previous regime, they managed to introduce the housing levy through Raila’s support but they decided to withdraw it after being taken to court.
“It was actually passed by parliament in the Finance Bill 2018 and it ended up in court. The court took one year and a half then we decided that it was not going to be ruled and we withdrew,” Hinga added.
Furthermore, Hinga stated that Raila is on record for pledging during the 2022 campaigns that if elected president, he would reintroduce the fund.
“I see everybody including my good friend Sifuna opposing it now but we were on the same page because NASA had joined us so they became our friends. Hold them to account because you cannot tell me that the course that I was pushing then is now poison,” Hinga said.
He added,“I do not think that is fair. Actually, Raila used the words ‘when I get elected, I will reintroduce 1.5’. Now he has changed his mind. Maybe the issue is that he is opposed to three per cent instead of 1.5 per cent.”
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