Teachers are set to receive a bigger slice of President William Ruto’s flagship Affordable Housing program, with the Head of State announcing that 20 per cent of all units will be allocated to them.
Speaking during the Walimu na Rais Forum at State House, Nairobi, on Saturday, September 13, the President said teachers contribute 13 per cent of the housing levy roughly Ksh900 million every month and therefore deserve priority in the project.
“To formalize this arrangement, we will sign an MoU between the Ministry and teachers’ representatives so that 20 per cent of the housing units go directly to teachers,” Ruto told the gathering.
Medical Cover Concerns
Ruto also turned his attention to the medical scheme for teachers, saying the current package is overpriced compared to the market and delivers fewer benefits.
“Access to inpatient services by teachers is lower than the market. Your data shows an average inpatient visit costs Ksh117,000, while the market average is Ksh100,000 and civil servants pay Ksh98,000. Clearly, we cannot continue with this cover as it is,” he said.
The President directed the Ministry of Education to work with health experts and compare the teachers’ medical package with civil servants’ and other available options.
He revealed that consultations with union leaders had already begun and urged teachers to embrace reforms that would guarantee better services and value for money.
Teacher Promotions Boost
On promotions, Ruto announced plans to double the government’s allocation from Ksh1 billion to Ksh2 billion starting next financial year.
The increment, he said, will allow at least 50,000 teachers to be promoted annually, up from the current 25,000.
“There are about 400,000 teachers eligible for promotion. We cannot let stagnation continue. This funding will ease the pressure,” he explained, calling for a review of the career progression guidelines.
Housing Debate
The President’s announcement comes weeks after he pledged to pay half the cost of two-bedroom Affordable Housing units for Harambee Stars players, following their stellar run at the 2024 CHAN tournament.
His promise drew criticism from some quarters, with concerns that he was overstepping his authority.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah later defended the President, clarifying that Ruto had only offered to help the players with the required deposit, but the allocation process would still follow the law.
“There is nothing in the regulations that allows the President to directly allocate houses. That is why he asked them to register and follow procedure, while he offered to cover their deposit,” Ichung’wah said on August 14.
