Majority leader in the National Assembly, Kimani Ichung’wah, has pledged to President William Ruto that the Kenya Kwanza coalition will leverage its numerical advantage in the House to secure the passage of a new bill aimed at advancing the affordable housing agenda.
President Ruto’s affordable housing initiative faced setbacks in court, with the 1.5 percent housing levy declared illegal.
However, Ichung’wah, speaking at the onset of a Cabinet retreat in Naivasha, assured the President of the coalition’s commitment to overcoming hurdles and ensuring the passage of the new bill currently under consideration.
“Your Excellency I’m happy to report we began debate last week on Thursday, we were not able to conclude and hopefully we should be able to conclude that tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon,” he said.
Last year, the High Court ruled that the housing levy lacked a comprehensive legal framework and violated several articles of the Constitution. The government’s appeal to continue collecting the levy was rejected by the appellate court in January.
Undeterred by legal setbacks, President Ruto reaffirmed his commitment to the affordable housing plan, urging the court to allow time for the creation of a new law to realize the housing levy.
Ichung’wah reiterated to the President that the process of enacting a new law was progressing smoothly and assured that the 1.5 percent housing levy would be reinstated before the March payrolls are finalized.
The Majority leader urged Kenya Kwanza MPs attending the retreat to prioritize House attendance to ensure the passage of critical government business. He highlighted the importance of collective action and urged members not to falter in their commitment..
