President William Ruto today seized the moment during the national 60th Madaraka Day celebrations to root for the housing levy and other revenue collection tax measures contained in the controversial Finance Bill 2023.
While presiding over his inaugural Madaraka Day fete at Embu’s Moi Stadium, the president said agreeing to pay the proposed housing levey by all employed Kenyans at 3 per cent of their salary is a moral duty by all patriotic Kenyans.
“There is a fundamental level at which we are morally obligated to think about our duties to the unemployed youth, vulnerable communities struggling in slums and other people at risk of exclusion. Their struggle for dignity as human beings appeals to our duty of moral consideration…We did not fight for independence to relegate our innocent compatriots to a life of suffering, exclusion and indignity in slums.” Ruto said.
The debate has attracted widespread opposition by various stakeholders and individual citizens in the past few weeks.
He however stuck to his guns maintaining the housing levy was the antidote to youth unemployment.
“Housing sector will ensure our entire manufacturing value chain (construction industry) will create employment, a million plus jobs both directly and indirectly.” The president noted.
This he said will empower the five million unemployed youths to enter the taxable income category through intentional efforts to create jobs.
“It is my duty to increase the number of homeowners in slums. We must transition those who live in 1411 slums into homeowners. These people deserve to live in dignity. We owe them a duty of citizenship.” Ruto added.