Civil society organizations have filed a petition at the High Court in Kenya to halt the government's mandatory housing levy, arguing it is unconstitutional and exacerbating poverty among citizens.

• Over one-third of Kenyans live below the poverty line, with the levy worsening disposable income shortfalls.
• The petitioners include the Kenya Human Rights Commission and Transparency International Kenya.
• The construction sector contracted by 0.7 percent in 2024, while cement consumption dropped a sharpest-in-two-decades 7.2 percent.