A recent poll conducted by Trends and Insights of Africa (TIFA) has revealed that a significant majority of Kenyans (69 percent) do not support the Housing Levy being pushed by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
According to the study, only one-quarter (24 per cent) of the respondents support the housing levy.
The economic survey conducted between June 23 and June 30, 2023, indicated that 7 per cent of the 1,530 respondents remained undecided on the matter.
Speaking Tuesday during the release of the findings, TIFA Research Analyst Tom Wolf highlighted that a majority of the Opposition supporters are against the housing levy suggesting a correlation between political alignment and public opinion.
“By contrast, and unsurprisingly, nearly all Opposition supporters oppose it (84%), suggesting that to a large extent, such opinions are more a reflection of political alignment than of the details of the program itself (which are to become better known in due course, with whatever impact on the public’s opinion about it),” he said.
The survey also revealed that 54 percent of Kenyans believe that those who contribute to the Housing Levy will not have the opportunity to own a house.
In contrast, only 11 percent of the respondents expressed confidence that levy payers would eventually become homeowners.
“Expectations that those who pay the new housing levy will ever get a house are quite most, with nearly five times as many of all Kenyans certain that they will not compared to those who certain that they will (54% vs. 11%),” TIFA said.
According to the pollster, such expressed expectations are markedly shaped by political alignment, however, with five times more Government supporters (20 per cent) certain they will get a house as compared to Opposition supporters (4 per cent).
“Still, not all Opposition supporters hold such negative expectations (only 70%),” it adds.
On June 12 President William Ruto succumbed to pressure and slashed the Housing Fund levy by half, from the proposed 3 percent to 1.5 percent following public outcry.
“The Housing Fund contribution has been reduced to 1.5 percent from the proposed 3 percent. Ruto listens,” President Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party tweeted.
Though Ruto has defended the contentious housing levy saying it is a sure bet to bridge the country’s housing deficit majority of Kenyans have expressed their reservations.
President Ruto chastised politicians who are out to demonize an otherwise good agenda.
“How much longer do we want these people to live in slums? In my estimation, we are sixty years late in making the decision that Singapore made. I think the time is now,” he said during the United Nations Habitat assembly in Gigiri on June 5.
