Speaking at State House, Nairobi, on Saturday, September 13, during the Walimu na Rais forum, the President assured more than 10,000 teachers that the commitment will be captured in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
“Today, we are going to sign, here, an MoU, so that teachers can get 20 per cent of all the housing we are constructing in Kenya,” Ruto announced.
The meeting brought together representatives from the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), the Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), and other unions, who presented their grievances on key issues affecting the education sector.
Implementation Hurdles
Experts note that the promise must be anchored in law or subsidiary legislation to become enforceable. Currently, the AHP is governed by the Housing Act (Cap 117) and related regulations, including the Affordable Housing Levy framework.
For a teacher-specific quota to be established, the State Department for Housing and Urban Development would need to draft regulations or amend existing ones. Alternatively, Parliament could pass a resolution or amendment to secure the allocation in law.
The MoU, expected to be signed between the government, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC), and unions such as KNUT and KUPPET, would outline eligibility, financing, and priority criteria. However, it would require statutory backing to hold legal force.
How Allocation Could Work
If implemented, every housing project under the AHP would reserve 20 per cent of units exclusively for teachers. TSC would be expected to provide details of eligible beneficiaries based on income, location, and employment status.
Allocation could be managed through the balloting system already used in AHP projects or via direct allocation to teachers. Beneficiaries would still purchase the houses through mortgages, SACCO financing, or the Boma Yangu portal. The quota guarantees access, not free housing.
Teachers’ Other Concerns
Beyond housing, teachers raised issues around their medical insurance cover, career progression guidelines, lack of adequate school capitation, and delayed Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
If implemented, the pledge would see teachers follow in the footsteps of the disciplined forces, who already enjoy a similar 20 per cent allocation in the AHP.
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