Former Trade Cabinet Secretary and ex–Senior Economic Adviser to President William Ruto, Moses Kuria, has criticised Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura over what he termed as an “uninformed” explanation on two of the government’s flagship programmes — the Social Health Authority (SHA) and the Affordable Housing Levy.
In a post shared on X on Sunday, September 21, 2025, Kuria ridiculed Mwaura for admitting during a vernacular radio interview that he was “confused” about the exact monthly deductions Kenyans face under the two initiatives.
“The Government Spokesman does not know how much the deductions for SHA and Housing Levy are. He says he is confused about which is which. He says he will consult and revert. I beseech my friend Nderitu Waihura to invite him again once he establishes exactly how much Kenyans are being deducted for the two levies,” Kuria stated.
Mwaura, speaking on Thursday, September 18, 2025, struggled to clarify whether employees’ contributions to the Affordable Housing programme could be used as a deposit to purchase a house. His comments sparked renewed questions about transparency and clarity around the two programmes.
The Affordable Housing Levy deducts 1.5 per cent of an employee’s gross salary, while the SHA contribution stands at 2.75 per cent, with a minimum of Ksh300 per month. President Ruto has maintained that the deductions are critical for expanding universal health coverage and addressing Kenya’s housing deficit.
Defending the SHA, Ruto recently announced that more than 2.2 million vulnerable citizens would receive free medical cover under a new sponsorship arrangement. He dismissed concerns about mismanagement, insisting that the digital system had safeguards against fraud.
Still, Kuria’s sharp rebuke highlights simmering discontent within political circles and underscores the growing pressure on government communicators to provide clear, accurate information about policies that directly affect Kenyans’ pay slips.
Source
https://k24.digital/411/moses-kuria-criticises-mwauras-response-on-sha-and-affordable-housing
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