President William Ruto's affordable housing project sailed through parliament's second reading, with 141 MPs voting for it while 58 opposition MPs voted against it.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi's pleas to suspend the Bill's third reading discussion were also unsuccessful, as the Speaker determined that the debate would proceed as planned on Wednesday afternoon.
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“Due to the many amendments that have been proposed by various members on the controversial Bill, I would request that you give us time, so that we debate the Bill on Thursday to allow as many members as possible to bring amendments,” the Ugunja MP pleaded.
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However, Majority Leader Kimani Ichungw'ah opposed the request, urging the Speaker to enable members to offer modifications while emphasizing the importance of not delaying the Bill.
“We should not delay the debate on this Bill, any amendments can be proposed and we can even have a supplementary order paper, but this debate must come tomorrow,” stated Ichung’wah.
“I want to see which MP is going to oppose this Bill, I want to see which MP is going to deny his electorates an opportunity to get a job because this Bill is about creating jobs, it’s about jobs for our people.” he added.
Several modifications have been proposed to the Bill, including eliminating the 10% deposit required to acquire a home.
"There was concern that these houses would be grabbed by the wealthy at the expense of those who could benefit from inexpensive housing. As a result, we would propose that one ID or one KRA Pin carry one house so that no one takes advantage of this initiative and invests in them at the expense of the hustlers who gain from it," said Finance Committee Chair Kimani Kuria.
