United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Vice Chairperson Seth Panyako on Saturday, May 27, resigned from his position in the ruling party.
Speaking in Kakamega County during the funeral of former politician, Joseph Hamisi, Panyako indicated that he was resigning from the party after opposing the proposed Housing Fund advocated for by President William Ruto.
He indicated that the idea did not resonate with a number of Kenyans who were struggling to make ends meet.
Panyako further revealed that he made the decision after holding a meeting with the Head of State on Friday, May 26.
"I talked to the President at 7 pm and it seemed that I could not continue with my role given my opposition to the housing fund and the high cost of living.
"Therefore, on behalf of my late friend (Hamisi), I want to announce that I have resigned from my position at UDA," he announced.
Panyako - who also served as the Secretary General of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) - maintained that he had no other option but to quit the ruling party.
"I have decided to stick with Kenyans because, during the campaigns, we used to say kazi ni kazi, pesa mfukoni. Now they are saying, Kazi ni kazi, pesa kwa serikali," he stated.
Notably, Panyako was appointed to the Local Authorities Provident Fund Board on March 24 by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u. At the funeral, he did not indicate whether he would also leave his board position.
Days before his resignation, the former party official expressed dissent over the housing fund.
He lamented that Kenyan workers were already overtaxed and the new proposals would have seen a number of employees suffer.
Panyako opined that the government needed to use its own resources to carry out the projects.
"The government must be creative enough to have the resources to do this housing project. Why can't they use the funds that are already available to do this? This housing project is cheap," he during an interview on K24 on May 25.
