Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga has proposed a national dialogue at the Bomas of Kenya to resolve standoff on affordable housing program.
Odinga, who has been accused severally by President William Ruto of opposing the program, stated that everyone’s views needed to be heard.
He was speaking during launch of a nationwide recruitment exercise for the Party of National Unity (PNU) headed by former Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya.
“You cannot come and tell people upende usipende utalipa nyumba. That is an old language that died with the Old Constitution. We need a national dialogue where people can sit down and agree how this program is going to be implemented.
“You can call a conference at the Bomas of Kenya and call it ‘the Kenya we want’. Let us set up a think tank of experts from Singapore, South Korea, Malaysia and Kenya who will meet every three months to come up with ideas on how to implement the program,” Odinga explained.
According to him, South Korea was an outstanding example having successfully implemented their affordable housing program.
The former Prime Minister further challenged President Ruto’s administration to think of other amenities that come into play around the affordable housing project.
“You are solving basic problems; the problem of shelter and housing, the problem of work, the problem of education, and the problem of health. You have to think about all that.
“Where are they going to work? Where are they going to go to school?” Odinga posed.
The Azimio leader maintained that Kenyans would continue opposing the program as there was little to no information on how the funds were being utilized, and general implementation of the project.
Odinga argued that there were Kenyans who were already paying mortgages, other saving towards building their own houses, and it would take some convincing to get them onboard the project not imposing levies.
