Housing & Investments - Sacco Review | The Leading Newspaper for Co-operative Movement in Kenya

Govt allocates Ksh50 billion to strengthen Affordable Housing programme

Sacco ReviewJune 12, 2026June 12, 202604 mins

Government has allocated Ksh50.6 billion for the Affordable Housing Programme in the 2026/27 financial year. Treasury CS John Mbadi said the investment is aimed at accelerating construction of affordable housing units nationwide. The programme is also expected to create jobs across the construction sector, including labour, materials supply, and related services. By Frank Mugwe The…

Gov’t plans to end zero-rated VAT for affordable housing

Sacco ReviewJune 12, 202604 mins

The government has announced plans to scrap the zero-rated Value Added Tax (VAT) status currently applied to affordable housing projects, signalling a major change in the taxation of one of its flagship development programmes. Speaking during a press briefing, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi said the proposed reforms will be included in the 2026…

Housing Fund Board seeks stronger KRA powers to curb affordable housing levy defaulters

Sacco ReviewJune 11, 202604 mins

The Affordable Housing Fund Board has urged Parliament to grant the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) stronger enforcement powers to tackle evasion of the 1.5 per cent housing levy, warning that gaps in the current legal framework undermine compliance and limit revenue collection. Appearing before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning during…

Omtatah demands Senate probe into affordable housing projects over land-grabbing claims

Sacco ReviewJune 10, 202604 mins

Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has formally petitioned the Senate to investigate what he describes as irregular development of Affordable Housing projects on public and community land, warning that the programme risks becoming “a cover for land grabbing.” In a request for a statement submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Land, Environment and Natural Resources,…

Foreign investors offload Ksh10bn worth of shares from NSE

Sacco ReviewJune 9, 2026June 9, 202602 mins

Over 6,000 foreign investors, both individuals and corporates listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange(NSE), sold their shares worth Ksh 10 billion from the top five companies in Kenya by the end of April 2026. The top Kenyan companies, Safaricom Plc, Equity Group, KCB Group, EABL, and Cooperative Bank of Kenya, claim normal operation despite the…

Housing among biggest winners as MPs approve 2026/27 budget estimates

Sacco ReviewJune 5, 202604 mins

The National Assembly has approved the revenue and expenditure estimates for the 2026/2027 financial year, passing a budget that places strong emphasis on housing, education, health, and social protection programmes. The framework, presented by the Budget and Appropriations Committee after public participation and sector consultations, was adopted by lawmakers who said the allocations are designed…

Housing Levy as collateral: workers face longer tax burden

Sacco ReviewJune 5, 202606 mins

The government has unveiled plans to leverage proceeds from the 1.5 per cent Affordable Housing Levy as collateral for a KSh100 billion loan through securitisation, a move that suggests the deduction may remain a long-term fixture on workers’ payslips. Disclosures by a Parliamentary committee show that the State Department for Housing plans to take the…

President Ruto hosts Northern Kenya leaders at Wajir State Lodge

Ruto unveils Ksh45 Billion Affordable Housing plan for Northern Kenya

Sacco ReviewJune 2, 202604 mins

President William Ruto has announced a Ksh45 billion investment in affordable housing projects across Garissa, Mandera, and Wajir counties, describing it as one of the most significant housing investments in Northern Kenya since Independence. In a statement shared on his X account after hosting leaders from the three counties at the Wajir State Lodge, the…

Kenya seeks global funding to bridge housing deficit at World Urban Forum

Sacco ReviewMay 21, 202603 mins

Kenya has framed its two‑million housing deficit as a business opportunity for investors while lobbying for more funding at the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku, Azerbaijan, where the government described the shortage as a development emergency. Speaking at the forum, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome outlined the challenges of…

Ruto: Kenya’s affordable housing costs no more than informal dwellings

Sacco ReviewMay 18, 202605 mins

President William Ruto has defended Kenya’s affordable housing initiative, stating that the country has shown that people living in informal settlements can move into modern high-rises without facing higher living costs. Speaking at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, on May 18, President Ruto highlighted that Kenya had begun replacing Nairobi’s informal settlements with organised,…