Ndindi Nyoro pokes holes in Ruto’s affordable housing job claims
By William Muthama, September 15, 2025Kiharu Member of Parliament, Ndindi Nyoro, has challenged the government’s narrative that the Affordable Housing Program has created hundreds of thousands of jobs across Kenya.
Speaking during a stakeholder forum with the Institute of Public Finance in Nairobi on Monday, September 15, 2025, Nyoro said the numbers touted by officials do not reflect reality on the ground.
“I have seen government officials claim that the housing project has created 300,000 jobs. Others say half a million. But the same government data shows that in 2024, the number of people employed in the construction sector actually shrank by 1.3 per cent,” he revealed.
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Private sector efficiency
Nyoro argued that ordinary Kenyans building their own homes have been more efficient at creating employment than government-led housing initiatives.
“The money for the housing levy was more efficient in the hands of Kenyans,” he said, adding that many private-led projects were scaled down after government intervention, reducing job opportunities.
He pointed out that photographs of housing developments circulating on social media do not translate into tangible employment data.
“It shows that when you have that money, the economy grows faster. But the government is creating inefficiency by controlling these projects,” Nyoro explained.
Nyoro criticised the government for slow adjustments in fuel pricing despite global declines. He highlighted that while global oil prices fell by 14 per cent in June, local prices only decreased marginally11 cents for diesel and 0.8 cents for petrol.
“When fuel prices go up, the government reacts immediately. But when they go down, Kenyans barely benefit. This hurts manufacturing and our competitiveness with neighbouring countries,” he said.
Nyoro emphasised that these issues are symptomatic of wider inefficiencies in public resource management. “We must hold the government accountable. Policies should be evaluated based on real outcomes, not just pictures and announcements,” he noted.
Nyoro’s remarks come days after President William Ruto stated that over 300,000 people have been employed under the Affordable Housing Program.