Atwoli Disowns Affordable Housing Regulations, Accuses PS Hinga of Misleading Public » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya – June 6, – The Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya, has strongly denied claims by Housing Principal Secretary Charles Hinga that it was involved in drafting the Affordable Housing Regulations.

In a sharply worded statement issued Friday, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli dismissed Hinga’s remarks as false and misleading, warning that workers’ funds risk being misused under the guise of the housing levy.

“At no point did the Executive Board of COTU, which is the legally mandated organ responsible for such decisions, sit to deliberate or resolve to support the said regulations,” Atwoli said, challenging PS Hinga to produce minutes or official communication showing COTU’s endorsement.

He further clarified that COTU’s representative on the Affordable Housing Fund Board, Bro. Ernest Nadome, had no authority to speak or commit the union to the regulations without board approval.

“The PS should be informed that no individual is authorized to commit the organization to a matter of such magnitude without the express approval of the Executive Board,” Atwoli stated.

He warned that using the housing levy to fund infrastructure already covered in the national budget—such as roads and dams—was not only dishonest but a betrayal of workers’ trust.

COTU is now calling on President William Ruto to urgently intervene and ensure the housing levy is used strictly for providing decent and affordable housing to Kenyans.

Atwoli reaffirmed that the union remains opposed to the current trajectory of the housing programme, citing a lack of proper consultation and the risk of diverting workers’ funds to unrelated projects.