Ruto should learn from Uhuru on how to govern – Jimi Wanjigi
By David Nthua, August 18, 2025Business-cum politician Jimi Wanjigi has faulted President William Ruto, saying he is wrong on the Affordable Housing Program.
Wanjigi, who spoke to a local radio station on Monday, August 18, 2025, trashed the program, accusing the government of doing business with Kenyans instead of serving them.
The Safina Party leader said the current housing model being pushed by the Ruto administration amounts to exploiting taxpayers by using their contributions to finance projects that are later sold back to them at commercial rates.
He argued that this approach defies logic and fairness.
Public money at stake
“If this was in another place in the world where the government is building with your money and selling it back to us, they would have been overthrown out like yesterday,” Wanjigi stated.
“How does it make sense that public money has been used solely and then sold for you? The house is owned by us,” he added.
Wanjigi contrasted Ruto’s strategy with former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s model, saying Kenyatta at least leveraged private partnerships when rolling out housing projects.
“When Uhuru was doing it, Uhuru was building on public land and got private entities to build it. In Ruto’s time, this is public money.
Why doesn’t he learn and do the right thing?” he posed.
According to Wanjigi, the administration’s plan raises red flags about accountability and transparency, noting that Kenyans should not be turned into customers of assets financed by their taxes.
Call for a shift
The outspoken businessman emphasised that while affordable housing remains a noble idea, the framework must be fair, sustainable, and beneficial to citizens rather than enriching select individuals.
He said Ruto should revisit the policy and adopt a model that shields taxpayers from being shortchanged.
His remarks come at a time when the Affordable Housing Program has stirred intense debate across the political divide, with critics calling it unconstitutional and burdensome, while the government insists it is a key plank of job creation and urban development.
Wanjigi’s attack adds yet another voice to growing scepticism, with his insistence that Ruto ought to borrow lessons from Uhuru Kenyatta’s governance approach if he is to make housing a reality without placing unnecessary strain on Kenyans.
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