Why most teachers may not be interested in State's housing plan

Most of the housing units are definitely going to be occupied by private sector; 80 per cent targeting the high-end market with the remaining percentage for the middle-income populations. Rapid urbanisation, which has been at a constant 4.3 per cent between 2019 and 2022, has put more pressure on housing, infrastructure and other related amenities. Due to this pressure, 61 per cent of town dwellers are live in slums. This means the housing project may very well help in the urban areas.

The Kenya Kwanza Government has therefore put a lot of emphasis on the Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) so as to provide decent, safe, and affordable housing for Kenyans, especially in the urban areas. The target is definitely to house civil servants and other government workers whose salaries cannot support descent houses within urban areas.

Away from providing houses, government thought this would help create employment for masons, carpenters, plumbers and electricians. From Jua Kali artisans fabricating doors and windows, to mama mandazi na chai, the construction site would be a job and wealth creation facility like no other. The economic impact of the programme is expected to raise the GDP from 7 per cent to 14 per cent.

The AHP was first unveiled to teachers and civil servants in 2017 and because it was not properly introduced to teachers, it died at inception. By then, the government had proposed 1.5 per cent deduction. Today, the government intends to deduct 3 per cent. Contributors would be allowed to buy the houses under a friendly arrangement such as paying in instalments, with 700,000 civil servants targeted.

Teachers, civil servants and their unions have vehemently opposed the housing plan and have suggested that the government increases their salaries first. Teachers' pay-slips are already strained and may not have any strength to support any other programme unless something is done in terms of salary increment. It is against this background that the Kenya National Union of Teachers made a 60 per cent salary increment proposal to the employer in the 2021-2025 CBA.

Of note, however, is that 78 per cent of teachers in Kenya work in rural areas where they have already settled and built their own houses funded by their saccos and other teacher investment arrangements. Seventeen per cent of those working in urban areas live with spouses who are not teachers and who may have purchased family homes. Only 5 per cent may want to benefit from the programme willingly.

Furthermore, 52 per cent of teachers are female; regardless of the fact that they stay in urban, peri-urban or rural areas, this translates to the fact that quite a number of them already have families and have settled with their family investments. They therefore may not be interested in the housing programme since the responsibility of buying/building homes is culturally bestowed on men.

With the repealed delocalisation policy, chances that teachers may teach away from their localities are low. The government's plan of building these housing units in specific areas may lock out many teachers. Even those willing to buy one of these houses may find it tricky to secure a unit far away from their work areas.

As most teachers have already committed their salaries beyond the one-third rule, they are wondering whether the law will be repealed to allow them to participate in the housing scheme.

Moving forward, the government should consider looking at the data on various groupings within the teaching fraternity and see if it is necessary to have a conversation with teachers and their representatives so as to have a proper understanding of how it can implement the programme.

Teachers should be consulted through their unions on decisions that affect their lives. The government should always consult people before making decisions that matter in their lives.