Maraga: I’ll stop Ruto’s affordable housing program if elected president
By Joel Masibo, September 15, 2025Former Chief Justice David Maraga has said he will stop the Affordable Housing Program fronted by President William Ruto if he is elected as the sixth President of the Republic of Kenya in the 2027 general election.
Speaking in a local radio interview on Monday, September 15, 2025, Maraga said he has spoken to many Kenyans who have expressed dissatisfaction with how the current regime is utilising taxes.
For instance, Maraga said many are not against the controversial Social Health Authority (SHA) initiative, but the handling of public resources by the state is what Kenyans are concerned about.
”I have spoken to many young Kenyans on the Social Health Authority issue, and they are willing to pay provided their money is well utilised by benefiting the right people. Another bad thing is overtaxation, about 40-45 per cent of the salary goes to deduction with nothing to show for it,” Maraga said.
Affordable housing meant for the few
The former CJ continued; ” Kenyans are overtaxed, for example, this housing levy, you will hear that this will be given to that..what about those who have paid? People have already taken mortgages, people have already built houses, they are being deducted, and they will not get the units in accordance with the deduction. It will not be fair, it will benefit a few, and the majority? We should have a system that serves. If elected president, I will stop the program immediately and return the mortgages, find a way to compensate those who paid,” Maraga said.
David Maraga’s declaration comes days after President William Ruto, on Saturday, September 13, 2025, witnessed the signing of a landmark Memorandum of Understanding between the Affordable Housing Board and teachers’ unions at State House, Nairobi.
According to the Head of State, who appears to be using the affordable housing program as an incentive to quell political temperatures among the public servants, the agreement guarantees that 20 per cent of all Affordable Housing units will be allocated to teachers, a step towards ensuring that those who dedicate their lives to shaping our nation’s future have access to decent homes.
Maraga has cautioned that affordable houses should not be dished out to the selected few but to all, if it was meant to benefit the taxpayer.