The government has raked in Sh120 billion from the Housing Development Levy, with more than Ksh90 billion already pumped into projects across the country, according to Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga.

During a meeting in Mombasa with the National Assembly Committee on Housing, Hinga said the pace of construction is picking up and more Kenyans are starting to pay for their homes.

He predicted that, before long, repayments from homeowners will outstrip collections from the levy.

“But as we move forward and the number of completed units increases, payments for these houses are also rising. We anticipate a time when the inflow from house payments will exceed what we collect from the levy,” Hinga said.

The Saturday meeting at Serena Hotel, chaired by Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno, brought together committee members and regional project leads to assess progress on the affordable housing programme.

The session, however, began late amid speculation over internal disagreements, after members skipped the morning agenda and were seen heading to lunch from the beach.

Ng’eno denied claims of division within the team, saying the session officially started at 2.30 pm as planned.

“Of course, the PS was here alone—as a PS. I am here alone as the chair. We’re beginning our official session at 2.30 pm, and members will be present,” Ng’eno said.

He explained that the session aimed to connect MPs with regional housing officers managing projects in various counties.

“This was a critical engagement. Most of the regional representatives had never met the committee. Members needed to connect with them to better understand the progress in their constituencies,” he said.

Ng’eno defended the venue, saying Parliament is allowed to sit anywhere as long as procedures are followed. “Even Parliament is constitutionally allowed to sit anywhere, provided proper procedures are followed,” he said.

Hinga said the programme has crossed the 200,000-unit milestone, with 148,000 units currently under construction and plans for 700,000 more in the pipeline. The ministry is active in 44 counties, with tenders already advertised for the remaining three.

“We are operational in 44 out of 47 counties. For the remaining three, we have advertised tenders. So, it’s only a matter of time before all counties are fully covered,” he said.

He said the housing programme has strong economic potential, with nearly every housing component offering local manufacturing opportunities.

“Almost every component of a house—whether it’s a bulb, a socket, a hinge—can be an industry by itself if done at scale,” he said.

To promote local industry, the ministry has reserved Ksh11 billion for Jua Kali artisans to supply doors, windows and balustrades. Hinga said 69 housing components have been marked for local production.

He cited the rising demand for elevators as an example of the programme’s scale, saying the housing push has raised the country’s lift demand from 750 to 2,750 units. The ministry is now urging global manufacturers to set up shop locally to meet this need and create jobs.

“Before the programme, the whole country only used around 750 elevators. With our projects alone, we now require 2,750 lifts. That’s almost four times the national demand,” Hinga said.

Following consultations with the Central Organisation of Trade Unions, the government has halved the deposit requirement for salaried workers from 10 per cent to 5 per cent. Workers had raised concerns over being subjected to the same interest rates as non-contributors to the levy.

The PS said the ministry has a clear plan to make the homes affordable and help Kenyans become homeowners.

“If you complete your payments over 13 years, you will get the title deed. That’s generational wealth. It’s how we build a nation—families inheriting homes,” he said, likening the plan to the “American Dream.”

To further boost access, Hinga said Kenyans earning under Sh25,000 a month can seek deposit assistance, while those earning between Sh20,000 and Sh150,000 will access fixed interest rates of six per cent, far lower than the commercial average of 15 per cent.