Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah on Monday, March 18, announced that he was moving to court to block the revised iteration of the Housing Levy.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Omtatah remarked that he was preparing a petition to block its implementation following passage of the Affordable Housing Bill by the National Assembly and Senate.
“Yes, we are challenging it. We are in the final stages of preparing the petition,” he told Kenyans.co.ke.
Omtatah further remarked that the petition would take into consideration the amendments made to the Bill by the Senate on Tuesday, March 12.
The National Assembly approved the amended version on Thursday, March 14.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah had vowed to do everything within his capacity to make sure that the Bill was signed into law by mid-March.
This was to ensure the return of 1.5 per cent salary deductions for all employed Kenyans to finance the Affordable Housing program.
Had the National Assembly not accepted the amendments made by the Senate, the law dictates the two houses would have gone for mediation, which would have lengthened the process.
President William Ruto had planned to sign the Bill into law on Saturday but later postponed this to Monday, March 18.
This was further rescheduled and now the Head of State is expected to sign the Bill into law on Tuesday.
Omtatah’s petition will seek to block Ruto’s administration from collecting the funds. Litigation is expected to start from the High Court and potentially, up to the Supreme Court.
Should the court not issue conservatory orders stopping the deductions until the case is determined, Kenyans will continue being deducted the Housing Levy until such determination is made by the courts.
