Taita Taveta leaders have asked President William Ruto to make the proposed housing fund levy optional.
They said the majority of civil servants are struggling due to rising cost of living, and that the proposed tax will be a burden to the already overtaxed Kenyans.
The leaders led by Governor Andrew Mwadime, advised the government to seek private partnerships in undertaking the housing projects and allow Kenyans to willingly buy the houses.
They were speaking during the annual general meeting for Kenya National Union of Teachers Taita Taveta branch in Mwatate on Saturday.
The governor was accompanied by Senator Jones Mwaruma and Mwatate MP Peter Shake.
“The proposal to deduct three per cent from every civil servant’s salary to fund housing projects should be optional, making it compulsory is very unfair,” Mwadime said, pointing out that the government should instead concentrate on growing the country’s economy to have more avenues to collect tax.
Governor Mwadime further urged President Ruto to put more efforts in industrialisation to bolster economic growth and create more jobs for millions of unemployed youth.
“Industrial growth is a key component in a country’s economy and it should therefore be prioritised. This will in return create more jobs,” he added.
Senator Mwaruma said many Kenyans have expressed dissatisfaction with the bill and the Parliament should therefore reject it for further amendment.
He criticised his fellow lawmakers who are supporting the proposal terming it punitive.
The senator urged his counterparts to stand with the people to protect them from the high tax burden by shooting down the proposed levy.
“Let’s avoid supporting proposals blindly for the interest of political parties, we should stand for the interests of Kenyans,” Mwaruma said.
Despite the housing project being a good venture, he said, there is no need to introduce more taxes to civil servants who are currently struggling for being overtaxed.
Mwaruma said the Kenya Kwanza administration should find a way of funding the housing projects without introducing new taxes.
-Edited by SKanyara