What do you know about the controversial housing levy tax? We know that a lottery will be used to distribute the houses, yaani in other words even after contributing your 1.5% you will still need some luck and probably you will have to know someone.
Now, we all know how hard it is to get a job in Kenya. One of my relatives is following a senior government official just to get a cleaning job. So what will happen to the housing levy?
In an interview with KTN on Sunday, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli said that they support the housing levy because the government has promised to increased basic wages with 15% which has still not been gazetted.
Francis Atwoli: For the past two decades we have been negotiating with the government for minimum wage but have not gotten anything#Checkpoint @SophiaWanuna pic.twitter.com/DVPvG7f684
— ktn (@KTNKenya) May 12, 2019
Well, it seems we will be hearing more different theories about the housing levy tax every day. State House Spokesperson Kanze Dena has now revealed that the levy is refundable if you don’t get a house in a period of 15 years.
“The housing levy is an investment. If you contribute and after 15 years you will not have got a house under the #AffordableHousing agenda, you will get your money back.” She said during an interview at Radio Maisha on Monday morning.
“The housing levy is an investment. If you contribute and after 15 years you will not have got a house under the #AffordableHousing agenda, you will get your money back. This is about giving Kenyans better & dignified roofs over their heads” @KanzeDena #Big4Agenda | @radiomaisha
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) May 13, 2019
What if you are dead before the 15 years? You know the frustrations in Kenya have lowered the life expectancy. Kenyans have advised the government to build the houses using Chinese loans and then sale them cheaply to the government.