President William Ruto on Tuesday scored the first win in his quest to sustain funding for his affordable housing programme after the new bill passed the second reading in Parliament.
After split voting, 141 MPs cast their ballot in favour of the bill against 58 who opposed it.
“I now wish to announce the voting to the House. In a division on the second reading of the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023, the results are as follows; the ayes 141, the nays 58; total votes 199, abstentions nil, so the ayes have it,” Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said.
“Before we conclude this, I want first to thank all members for your decorum. Apart from the errant member for Budalangi, the rest of the members observed absolute decorum,” the Speaker added.
The Bill will now go into the third reading during Wednesday’s session and if endorsed by two-thirds of the members present, it will pass and await its presentation to the Senate.
Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah on Monday assured President Ruto that the Kenya Kwanza side will use its numerical advantage in the House to ensure the bill is passed.
“We should be able to conclude that business tomorrow (Tuesday), hopefully on Wednesday afternoon we get into third reading…and be able to process the bill forward to the Senate so that they are able to advertise it by Friday, do the public participate and be able to get a new Affordable Housing Bill before the next payroll,” he said.
“Usually, many corporations both private and public process their payrolls after the 15th of the month, so we hope by the 15th of March, your Excellency, you will have assented to the new Affordable Housing Bill,” he added.
He was speaking at the start of a Cabinet retreat with the Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary group in Naivasha on Monday.
The new bill was introduced to the House after the courts twice declared the 1.5 per cent Housing Levy which is meant to finance Ruto’s Affordable Housing Project unconstitutional.
Judges said the levy was not only discriminatory and unfair as it excluded earners in the informal sector but that it was also never subjected to public participation.
