Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has strongly refuted claims by Housing and Urban Development Principal Secretary Charles Hinga that the union was involved in drafting regulations guiding the Affordable Housing programme.
In a firm statement released on Thursday, Atwoli challenged PS Hinga to present concrete evidence proving COTU’s participation or endorsement of the Affordable Housing Act. He maintained that the union’s Executive Board the legally mandated decision-making body had never met to discuss or approve any such regulations.
“As COTU (K), we have never been consulted formally or informally in the development, review, or approval of the current Affordable Housing Regulations,” Atwoli said. “If indeed PS Hinga claims that COTU (K) was involved, we challenge him to produce any written resolutions, minutes, or correspondence from our Executive Board endorsing the content of the regulations.”
Atwoli accused the government of misleading the public and diverting housing levy funds towards unrelated infrastructure like markets, a move he condemned as a betrayal of Kenyan workers. “The levy was meant strictly for constructing homes, but now it’s being used for pre-primary schools, health centres, fire stations, and even police posts,” he stated.
He also distanced the union from Bro. Ernest Nadome’s involvement on the Affordable Housing Fund Board, saying that his role does not represent the institutional position of COTU. “It is dishonest to equate one individual’s presence on a board to the collective stance of the entire union,” Atwoli said, noting Nadome had already confirmed COTU was not consulted on the current regulations.
Atwoli called on President William Ruto to intervene and ensure that the levy remains focused solely on housing projects.
In response, PS Hinga insisted that COTU had been part of the teams that drafted the Act and regulations. He said the law, even as early as 2018, included both housing units and associated social infrastructure.
The clash follows President Ruto’s announcement that the levy will fund the construction of over 260 markets, further intensifying debate over the scheme’s implementation.
