- "I will encourage you to go and recruit those people employed to be members," he said
- "My plan is that by 2027, we will have 500,000 people working on the programme."
Image: PCS
The Kenya Kwanza administration has created up to 120,000 from the housing plan, President William Ruto has said.
Speaking at the 5th Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation-Africa in Nairobi, the head of said that jobs have been created in the last 8 months.
"I took a long time to explain to Kenyans what we were going to do to create job opportunities to have more workers and people and earning a decent wage," he said.
"I want to report to everyone here that in the last 8 months, we have created 120,000 jobs from our housing plan, I will encourage you to go and recruit those people employed to be members.
"My plan is that by 2027, we will have 500,000 people working in the programme."
Further, Ruto said that his government is also focusing on creating more jobs around the digital space, noting that Parliament is passing the NGCDF Bill that will create more opportunities for ICT hubs in every ward in Kenya.
"We are seeking to create digital jobs in every village in Kenya."
In addition, the President noted that Kenya is a country of workers and is working on a bilateral labour agreement to increase the labour space for the benefit of the country.
"If we do not engage these people in productive work, it is going to be a challenge for all of us."
Ruto's pronouncement comes hours after the High Court ruled that the housing levy in the Finance Act 2023 is unconstitutional.
Judges Lawrence Mugambi, Christine Meoli and David Majanja on Tuesday ruled that the introduction of the levy was discriminatory since it imposed taxes on salaried Kenyans alone and excluded those working in the informal sector.
"...That levy against persons in formal employment with the exclusion of other non-formal without justification, discriminatory, irrational, arbitrary and in violation of Articles 27, 201 of the constitution," Justice Majanja said.
The three-judge bench was appointed by Chief Justice Martha Koome and presided over by Majanja.
"An order is granted prohibiting the respondent from collecting/ charging or otherwise charging on Affordable Housing Act on the basis of section 84 of the Finance Act and all prayers on the consolidated petition not specifically granted," Judge Majanja ruled.