His Excellency William Ruto has finally addressed the issue of removing the housing levy amidst the ongoing nationwide protests, which have escalated into widespread looting of properties.
The protests initially began with the slogan "Ruto must go," but they have since evolved into a new slogan where Gen Z's are now calling for Ruto to resign due to a loss of trust in his governance.
However, despite the pressure from protests, William Ruto has maintained his stance on the housing levy, stating that they have made significant progress and quitting is not an option. This came after protesters criticized the housing levy, deducted at 1.5 percent, as burdensome for salaried workers amidst skyrocketing living costs. Ruto acknowledged that many people are criticizing him regarding the housing levy and demanding its removal.
He further stated that he expects these critics to ask how more can be achieved with the levy. Referring to Singapore, one of the developed countries, the Chief Hustler highlighted that this initiative was among those used to achieve development there.
"Instead of saying we should scrap the housing Levy, we should be asking what more we can do with the Levy. Many people are beating me about the housing Levy. It is what Singapore did to get where they are" he said
Speaking yesterday in Nairobi's South B, the CS for Land, Alice Wahome, stated that there are already over 100,000 housing units planned nationwide. She highlighted that discontinuing the levy would render these projects unviable, leading to wastage of taxpayers' funds and dormant capital.