Just Hours After Flying Out of the Country, Ruto Receives Bad News as Court Makes Landmark Ruling

A major setback has hit President William Ruto’s Affordable Housing Programme after the High Court ruled against his directive to give teachers and police officers priority in the allocation of housing units.

The ruling, delivered on Thursday, October 29, 2026, puts the government’s proposed special allocation for the two groups under fresh legal scrutiny.

Justice Patricia Nyaundi Mande, sitting at the Milimani High Court in Nairobi, declared that the President’s announcements could not change the rules set out under the Affordable Housing Act and its regulations.

The case followed two presidential pronouncements made on June 3 and September 13, 2025. Ruto had announced plans to reserve 20 per cent of affordable housing units for teachers and another 20 per cent for police officers.

However, the petitioners challenged the proposed arrangement, arguing that it could give the two groups an unfair advantage over other Kenyans seeking affordable homes.

They maintained that access to housing should follow the law and respect the constitutional rights of citizens, regardless of their profession or economic background.

In her ruling, Justice Mande stressed that presidential authority cannot be used to introduce new allocation preferences that are not supported by existing legislation.

The court directed that housing allocation must follow the Affordable Housing Act and the regulations governing the programme.

The decision does not stop teachers and police officers from applying for affordable homes. Instead, it means that the government cannot create special allocation rules through presidential announcements alone without a lawful basis.

The ruling comes as the government continues to implement its Affordable Housing Programme, which aims to increase access to homes for Kenyans while creating jobs in the construction sector.

The programme has attracted public attention because of the housing levy and questions surrounding how available units should be allocated fairly.

The latest court decision now places renewed focus on transparency, equality and the legal process guiding the distribution of government-supported housing.

What happens next will depend on how the government implements the court’s decision while continuing with the housing programme.

Fact—Checker [email protected]