Do you have faith in the government? What exactly is the Housing Levy, and who does it target? In simpler terms, we aimed to gauge the awareness of young people regarding current events in Kenya, specifically focusing on the housing levy during the Coffee Bar Tuesday. We also wanted to understand if the community is informed about the Court of Appeal’s decision to uphold the suspension of the Housing Levy, preventing the government from collecting contributions from both employees and employers which we realized young people are not aware.

Although a significant number of participants were not employed, they still expressed their opinions. Many opposed funding the affordable housing fund at the moment, citing the economy is not stable and many are struggling to make the ends meet, which hinder their ability to contribute to the fund. One participant shed light on tax collection processes and explained why the government settled on the 1.5% housing levy and why everyone must contribute to the fund. He shared that the government is trying to fund the project from the taxes and from loans.

In Kenya, decent and affordable housing is crucial for providing dignity, security, and privacy to its citizens. The 2010 Constitution mandates the state to take various measures to achieve the progressive realization of the right to adequate and accessible housing. While Kenya has made progress, there is still work to be done. Can taxation play a role in achieving affordable housing? It’s also important to note that contributing to the affordable housing fund does not guarantee free housing, there’s some down payment of 300,000 which must paid first.

“National Health Insurance Fund has been having scandals all through, for you to get the national social security you must beg for you money that was being deducted all those years. If the government was not able to take care of your health money, how do you think that they will take care of the affordable housing fund?” a participant asked

During the discussion, participants were asked if they trust the government and the responses were both shocking and disheartening. Almost half of the room expressed a lack of trust in the government, citing a need for the government to regain the trust of its people. Questions arose about trusting a government with a questionable track record, citing issues with organizations like the National Health Insurance Fund, National Social Security Fund among others.

Through the Finance Bill of 2023, the government mandated a 1.5% monthly contribution from both employees and employers for the Affordable Housing fund. Employers failing to comply face a penalty of two percent of the unpaid amount each month.

From the discussions, you could tell that there’s a lot that the government has to do in sensitizing the government about their projects. Majority of young people don’t have information making it hard for them to question some of the proposals. We emphasized the need of attending public participation and it’s only through such forums that you are able to be enlightened and ask relevant questions.  We believe in the power of having information, it’s only through right information that you are able to make right decisions.