- Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna fired back at President William Ruto over the housing levy, SHA, and PAYE deductions
- Sifuna disclosed that he personally pays KSh 24,000 in housing levy and KSh 43,000 monthly for SHA contributions
- The senator pledged that a change of government in 2027 would bring an end to the housing levy
Nancy Odindo is a current affairs writer at Tuko.co.ke (joined in 2023). She has one year of experience in print and more than five years in digital media.
Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna has gone on the offensive against President William Ruto, publicly disclosing the deductions he bears monthly under the housing levy and Social Health Authority (SHA) schemes, and promising their abolition if power changes hands in 2027.
Source: Facebook
Sifuna posted the statement on Wednesday, October 14, on his X account, responding directly to criticism directed at him by Ruto.
The president had labelled Sifuna "empty" and without a credible agenda for his presidential ambitions, also taking aim at his The Equitable Party (TEP) and suggesting that retired president Uhuru Kenyatta was bankrolling opposition efforts to undermine his key projects ahead of the 2027 General Election.
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Sifuna breaks down his monthly deductions
The senator did not hold back in laying out what he described as the financial burden placed on Kenyan workers.
He stated that he pays KSh 24,000 every month under what he called Ruto's "housing scam," KSh 43,000 monthly for SHA, and a further KSh 500,000 in PAYE deductions, bringing his total disclosed monthly burden to well over half a million shillings.
"Is he done ranting about the KSh 24,000 I pay for his housing scam because kuna hii KSh 43,000 I pay every month for his SHA scam we also need to discuss," Sifuna wrote, adding that once those matters were settled, there was still the question of the KSh 500,000 in PAYE "he takes every single month and splashes on tea and mandazi pale state house all the while insulting us the taxpayers that carry the burden of his greed."
2027 campaign pledge on housing levy
Sifuna used the opportunity to turn his grievances into a campaign commitment, declaring that the housing levy would be eliminated alongside Ruto's presidency in 2027.
"In 2027 we are cutting the fat out of our budget to bring relief to all Kenyan workers. The housing levy will go with Ruto," he wrote.
The statement positions Sifuna as a vocal critic of two of Ruto's flagship programmes.
The Affordable Housing Levy has drawn sustained criticism from opposition leaders and civil society, while SHA, which replaced the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), has faced complaints from healthcare workers and patients over operational gaps at various facilities across the country.
Sifuna leads the Linda Mwananchi Movement and has been among the most outspoken senators against the current administration's fiscal policies, frequently taking aim at levies and taxes he argues disproportionately burden ordinary Kenyans and salaried workers.
Source: Twitter
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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