Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome has clarified that contributions to Kenya’s Housing Levy do not guarantee home ownership.

According to the CS, the funds are used by the government to construct affordable housing, with contributors still needing to purchase or rent the houses post-construction.

”The Housing Levy is not a saving. It is a tax. The money you are contributing is not supposed to give you a house, it is helping us build the house. After that it is you who pays for that house,” the Lands CS said on Wednesday.

CS Wahome’s latest remarks contradict explanations by Housing PS Charles Hinga in May 2024, when he described the levy as a saving scheme.

At that time, Hinga called upon Kenyans to support the housing levy proposed in the Finance Bill 2023, stating that it would provide an opportunity for many to afford decent housing.