Ruto: We will have 1 million new homeowners in five years
President William Ruto now claims that Kenya will have a million new homeowners in the next five years.
Addressing a congregation in ACK Bahati church in Nairobi on Sunday, the Head of State reiterated his unwavering commitment to ensure that the affordable housing program succeeds.
Ruto stated that the program's success is determined by the number of Kenyans who own houses, he subsequently defended that lives will be dignified through better living conditions from owning houses.
"Tunataka kuinua wakenya wa chini wale wanalipa rent, tunataka sasa walipe mortgage polepole badala ya kulipa miaka ishirini alafu nyumba bado ni ya kaunti ama ni ya mtu amekupatia, hio nyumba inakua yako unaanza kuishi as an owner(We want to uplift Kenyans who are currently paying rent to start paying mortgage instead of paying rent for over 20 years yet the house belongs o the county government or landlord).
"My commitment is that in the next five years, we should have a million new homeowners in Kenya so that we can begin to dignify the people of Kenya by making sure that we organise them and their livelihoods and their living conditions so that everybody lives in dignity," the president said.
Affordable housing
Ruto, who has defended the affordable housing program for the umpteenth time, signed it into law last week in a signing ceremony held at State House.
Before being signed into law, the appellate court had rejected it put it on hold and stopped the government from collecting deductions.
It was recently passed by parliament after efforts by the Kenya Kwanza government to have it back despite several rejections from the opposition lawmakers who termed it illegal and unconstitutional.
With the bill becoming law, Ksh1.5 per cent tax from both the employee and his/her employer will be deducted every end of the month.
Even as a section of Kenyans complained against the levy, the president hailed the legislation assuring citizens that it would reduce the unemployment rate in the country and provide land for food production and growth of the manufacturing industry.
Ruto also stressed that the program will help revive the country's dwindling economy.
"Housing is going to give us jobs for our young people, give us decent living conditions for our people, is going to assist us in making sure that we have land for food production and is also going to make sure that we grow our manufacturing sector," Ruto said.
