‘Pitisheni hiyo kitu, wacheni maswali mingi!’ President Ruto tells MPs on housing bill

President William Ruto has now directed Members of Parliament to the Affordable Housing Bill without further delay.

Speaking on Friday in Nyeri County on the final day of his Mt. Kenya tour that has seen him traverse Kiambu, Murang'a, and Nyeri counties, the President underscored that the programme is the ultimate solution for the joblessness of the youth in the country.

He touted the government’s pet project as a guarantee of employment for millions of Kenyans and that lawmakers should pass the Bill “without asking a lot of questions.”

While referring to Mathira MP Eric Wamumbi and his Kenya Kwanza allies, he ordered them to enact the legislation during the next Parliament sitting so that it paves way for the project, threatening that failure to do so will be violating the rights of their people.

“Ninaambia hawa wabunge ile sheria ya housing ambayo iko bunge, yenye korti ilisema tupitishe, tunataka by Tuesday iwe imekamilika...vijana ni wengi wanataka kazi,” said the President.

“Si vijana mko? Si mnataka kazi? Wewe Wamumbi, ukienda kuzubaa huko bunge, hawa watu watakuzamisha.”

He added: “Si huyu jamaa apitishe hiyo sheria asubuhi? Mnampatia amri aipitishe asubuhi na mapema, na awache maswali mingi?”

The Court of Appeal in January declined to suspend the High Court order that declared the housing levy as unconstitutional.

Appellate Court judges Lydia Achode, John Mativo, and Paul Gachoka cited public interest in the matter, underscoring the High Court ruling that the housing levy was introduced without a legal framework.