President William Ruto has continued to defend the affordable housing programme which seeks to deduct three per cent on basic pay of kenyans for the Housing Fund.
Speaking on Tuesday during the grand opening of Kerugoya General Hospital in Kirinyaga County, Ruto reiterated that the plan would provide employment for the youth.
He hit out at leaders opposing the mandatory contribution saying it was absurd to reject a programme that would benefit the people.
Ruto went on to claim that some of the leaders had been voted by persons living in slums yet did not open to the house upgrading project.
"Nilikuwa naona mwingine jana. Mtu amechanguliwa. Almost 70 per cent ya watu wamemchagua wanaisha kwa slum. Alafu yeye anapinga mpango ya slum upgrading. Si huyo ni wazimu?" he posed.
(I saw another one yesterday, a leader elected by almost 70 per cent of slum dwellers and he was opposing slum upgrading. Isn't that madness?)
Ruto noted that the opposition had supported the housing levy before elections and as such, they current opposition to the plan is mere politics.
The President said it was only fair for the elected leaders to pass the Finance Bill 2023 so that their employers, the voters, can also get jobs.
He outlined the opportunities contained in the Finance Bill 2023 such as jobs in the construction of houses and at the Special Economic Zones.
MPs on Monday reviewed the housing levy from three per cent to 1.5 per cent mandatory contribution.
Employees will be required to contribute 1.5 per cent of their monthly pay to the programme that seeks to provide affordable houses to Kenyans.
The proposal has suffered rejection from Kenyans and different factions including a section of leaders from both the government and the opposition.
Azimio chief Raila Odinga warned that if the Bill is passed, the opposition will regroup and overrun Ruto.
"We have agreed with our MPs on what to do; vote against any tax rises," he said.
"Should Ruto overrun the National Assembly, we will regroup and overrun him in the wider National Assembly of the whole people of Kenya."
On May 18, 2022, Raila then Azimio's presidential candidate announced that he will introduce the housing levy to address the housing shortage in the country should he get elected in the August polls.
"I have talked to the head of Cotu, Francis Atwoli and he has assured me that they will cooperate with us, the Azimio government when we go into the office," he said in Kisumu during the groundbreaking of Makasembo Estate funded by LAPFUND.
