President William Ruto is poised to endorse the Affordable Housing Bill into law this morning, marking a pivotal moment in the housing project’s execution and the commencement of the collection of a 1.5 per cent housing levy from Kenyans beginning this month.
The contentious Bill was forwarded to the president last week following its approval by Parliament.
However, opposition lawmakers have raised objections, citing insufficient public participation and expressing concerns that the legislation will worsen the financial burden on many Kenyans already grappling with high taxes.
According to the new law’s provisions, both employers and employees will be mandated to contribute 1.5 percent of their income towards the construction of affordable housing units across the country.
Earlier this year, in January, the implementation of the housing levy was halted by a court order, which stipulated that it could only be enforced once appropriate legislation was enacted to formalize it into law.
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President Ruto has welcomed the court’s decision, affirming the government’s commitment to comply with the directive and enact the necessary legislation. The bill has now been passed by Parliament, paving the way for its enactment.