President Ruto vows to appeal court decision on housing levy
President William Ruto speaks to a construction worker in Ol Kalau, Nyandarua County during the launch of the affordable housing project on January 11, 2024.
What you need to know:
- On January 4, the Court of Appeal allowed the government to continue collecting the controversial housing levy.
- President Ruto has been a vocal advocate of the Housing levy and has condemned those who have gone to the courts to stop the implementation of the fund.
President William Ruto has hit out at the Judiciary over the housing levy ruling, vowing that the programme will continue despite the Court of Appeal’s verdict halting it.
The appellate court on Friday declined to extend an order allowing the government to continue collecting the housing levy, meaning that the state will be compelled to stop deducting money from salaried workers.
Speaking at Kangeta market, Igembe Central, on the second day of his Meru County tour, the President maintained that the programme would continue.
The president said that although his government respected the court ruling, his stand was that it was not the right decision given the current situation where millions of Kenyan youth were jobless, saying the executive would appeal the decision.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to tell them that we were in the reprocess of creating a law to guide the process and they should have given us time. We will also appeal the case so that we continue with the programme and create jobs for millions of Kenyan youth…”
“I want to tell those who have gone to court that there is no greater public interest than to create jobs for our youth who have graduated from our institutions yet they don’t have income. They should know that we’re on a mission to create equity in our country and they will not stop us…this is the first government that has a clear demonstrable plan on how to create employment,” he said.
He said the court should have given his administration time to create a law to actualize the levy. His utterances come hot on the heels of a meeting with Chief Justice Martha Koome and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, where the three arms of government vowed to work in harmony.
“We want to build housing units and create jobs for the youth according to the Kenya Kwanza manifesto. In the housing programme we can create over 500,000 jobs this year and this is a priority for my government,” he said.
Speaking at the same venue, National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah said they will respect the Court of Appeal ruling but added that Parliament will create a new law to actualize the housing levy.
“Soon we will create a new law that will ensure the affordable housing projects are implemented,” he said.
Mr Ichung’wah also hit out at Azimio leader Raila Odinga over his claims that Parliament was a puppet of Dr Ruto, saying his assertion was far from the truth.
Also Read: State pleads to continue with collections
“Raila said that Parliament has been held hostage by the executive but I want to tell him that we were elected to work for the people of Kenya and that is what we are doing by collaborating with the three arms of government. Parliament is independent and playing its constitutional role,” Mr Ichung’wah said.
Also present during Dr Ruto's second-day tour of Meru County tour were Senate Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi, Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi and his Lands counterpart Alice Wahome, Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza and her deputy Isaac Mutuma, ex-Meru governor Kiraitu Murungi among other leaders.
The president is expected to conclude his tour of the region on Saturday by visiting Imenti North, Imenti South and Imenti Central.
