On Sunday, President William Ruto reiterated his resolve to set a good example by contributing to the proposed housing levy under the Affordable Housing Programme.
President Ruto stated during a Thanksgiving service in Kakamega that he will continue to pursue his goal to give cheap housing to Kenyans living in appalling conditions.
According to President Ruto, the strategy will address the country's housing, job, and manufacturing concerns.
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"Nimesema nitakua mstari wa mbele ya kutoa hio 3% ndio tupange ajira ya watoto wa Kenya," says the author. Tukisema tutoe 3% na hawa wananchi kwa ajili ya housing vijana milioni moja wapate ajira. "Kwani huna utu 3% anakwama?" He made a pose.
"Na yule anayeitisha hio 3% ni yule amekuajiri [na] anakulipa 97% anasema ubaki na hiyo hawa watoto tuwapangie ajira na hiyo hawa watoto tuwapangie ajira."
The president mentioned the housing charge, originally set at 3% but later decreased to 1.5% before being approved by the National Assembly.
Working on a model adopted by Singapore to offer quality housing for its inhabitants, President Ruto stated that Kenya must also follow suit and tighten the belt to implement the plan, despite opposition from some Kenyans.
"Singapore, like Kibera, was a slum, but they are now a first-world country because they planned their housing." If we want to be like Singapore, or even better, we must make the same decisions they did," he remarked.
The housing levy contribution by employers and employees has been cut from 3% to 1.5% and will go into effect as soon as the President signs the Finance Bill 2023, which Parliament has approved.
On June 14, the bill was passed for a Second Reading stage in the National Assembly, with 176 Members of Parliament in favour and 81 opposed.
