DAP-K Party leader Eugene Wamalwa has called on President William Ruto to refund all the money deducted from Kenyans for the affordable housing program.
This demand follows the Court of Appeal’s declaration that the Housing Levy is unconstitutional, leading to a halt in its implementation.
Speaking on Saturday, January 27, Wamalwa asserted that Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza Government had unlawfully deducted funds from over 3 million Kenyans.
Wamalwa further called for an immediate refund of the deductions by the state.
“Tunamwambia ile pesa ulichukua, kinyume na sheria, tunataka izo pesa zirudishiwe wakenya mara moja [We are telling him that the money he took, against the law, we want that money returned to Kenyans immediately],” Wamalwa stated.
“We are demanding that William Ruto and his Kenya Kwanza Government, which illegally deducted money from over 3 million Kenyans, must not only cease deducting but must return every Kenyan’s money,” he added.
On January 26, the Court of Appeal declined to suspend the High Court decision that declared some sections of the Finance Act, 2023, including the housing Levy, unconstitutional.
Consequently, Kenyans are no longer required to contribute 1.5% of their salary towards the housing levy until the appeal is thoroughly addressed.
The judges emphasized that public interest warranted awaiting the appeal’s determination, as granting a stay at this stage might lead to irreversible decisions if the appellate court upholds the initial ruling.
The judges also dismissed the state’s applications for a stay, asserting that none of them satisfied the necessary conditions.
