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President William Ruto’s Political Affairs Advisor Karisa Nzai has told off critics of the Affordable Housing and Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) programmes, urging them to allow the Kenya Kwanza government to fulfil its campaign promises.

Nzai, who is also the Mijikenda spokesman, stated that President Ruto was elected by millions of Kenyans, and it is solely up to him to decide on the most effective way to implement his administration’s manifesto.”

He was categorical that although any government should be criticized and called out, such criticism should not be used to derail the agenda of the administration in power.

“You do not expect the President to back to the people in 2027 and tell them that he could not deliver affordable housing to them because the court blocked him. That is not an excuse that he can take to the people when they review his scorecard,” Nzai said.

According to Nzai, both the Executive and the Judiciary should find a way of working together so that government programs are meant for the benefit of the citizens.

“I believe that the two can sit down and find a way forward because they are all serving Kenyans in different capacities. The courts should not give the opposition much fodder on why the President has failed to deliver the houses to the people,” Nzai said.

He argued that the President is not presiding over the construction of affordable housing for his benefit, but for millions of Kenyans who deserve decent housing as enshrined in Article 43 of the Constitution.

The political pundit further noted that some of the houses should be ready for occupancy in the next two years, adding that the Kenya Kwanza administration will complete the rest in good time.

“The President will not sleep in these houses. He is only building them for the poor and the less privileged in society who deserve to live in decent houses. I want to urge various stakeholders to support this initiative and ensure Kenyans get decent houses,” Nzai noted.

In the 2023/2024 financial year, Parliament appropriated Sh73 billion to help the government deliver some 200,000 housing units per year according to the Kenya Kwanza manifesto.

The President Ruto-led administration estimates that the affordable housing project will create between 600,000 and one million jobs per year.

Two parliamentary committees have already begun public hearings on the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023 which aims to provide a comprehensive legal framework for the implementation of the housing project.

The National Assembly’s Finance and Housing, Urban Development and Public Works Committee will from next week hold joint sittings for the public hearings on the Affordable Housing Bill 2023.

This is even as the public hearings by the joint committees are expected to be completed by the end of January and a report tabled in the House when parliament resumes after a long recess in February.

In addition, Nzai charged that the Kenya Kwanza administration has been releasing social welfare protection for the elderly dubbed ‘Inua Jamii’ in time to save them from the vagaries of life.

“The chiefs, deputy county commissioners and other national government employees have been instructed to ensure that the old get paid their monthly stipend on time and without any discrimination,” Nzai stated.

Nzai, who is also President Ruto’s ally from the coastal region, stated that other programs, such as the Hustler Fund, have shown progress, with beneficiaries reaping the benefits.