President Ruto Hits Back at Sifuna Over Promise to Allocate Affordable Housing Units to Police Officers

President William Ruto has fired back at Edwin Sifuna after he pledged to allocate Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) houses to police officers if they win the presidency in the 2027 General Election.

Speaking on Monday, September 14, in Kisumu, President Ruto said his administration has already allocated 20,000 houses to police officers. 

The Head of State advised Sifuna and his Linda Mwananchi allies to discuss other issues, arguing that they lack the capacity to debate matters relating to the Affordable Housing Programme

“I hear you saying that you will give the Affordable Housing units to the police. Let me give you the facts: we have already allocated 20,000 houses to the police. 

“We are already ahead; you don’t understand anything, my friends. Go and discuss other things; you have no capacity to discuss housing,” Ruto said.

On Sunday during the Linda Mwananchi rally at Jacaranda Grounds in Nairobi, Sifuna pledged to allocate the affordable housing units to police officers if the Linda Mwananchi movement wins the 2027 general election. 

The Nairobi Senator made the pledge after praising police officers for providing security to the movement during the rally.

“I want to thank the Nairobi police because today, instead of throwing tear gas at us, they provided us with security from the time we left the church until we arrived here. 

“I want to make a promise to our police officers: when we, as Linda Mwananchi, take over the leadership, after removing the housing levy, we will give the houses that Ruto has built to our police officers so that they can live in them,” said Sifuna. 

President Ruto and Sifuna have in recent weeks clashed over the Affordable Housing Project.

On July 21, Sifuna joked that residents of Western Kenya cannot comfortably live in houses where they cannot keep chickens. 

The Nairobi Senator questioned the practicality of constructing 12-storey affordable housing units for residents from the Luhya community.  

Senator Sifuna argued that the design of the project does not align with the lifestyle of Western region locals. 

"They have built 12-storey affordable housing units in Funyula. We Luhyas can't live in a place where our chickens can't. Tell me, boss, how will your chicken get to the 12th floor?" Sifuna posed. 

President Ruto hit back at Sifuna questioning the reasoning behind opposing the housing projects on the basis that residents would be unable to keep chickens.

"You are telling us not to build affordable housing because chickens cannot be taken to the 17th floor. 

“How foolish do you think we are? Some people have no sense. Can someone who says such things really be considered sensible?" President Ruto quipped.