Tag Archives: Court suspends the housing scheme

FKE quashes move by government to effect the Housing Fund Levy

The Federation of Kenya Employers, FKE, has termed the move by the government to effect the Housing Fund Levy unlawful. Through its boss, Jacqueline Mugo, FKE says the government is in breach of the law as a case concerning the Housing Fund is still in court. The government on Tuesday 16th April, 2019, published a notice on the local dailies saying the housing fund Levy is now operational and deductions to be paid by 9th May, 2019.

Here is the Presser from FKE;

“Our attention has been drawn to the Public Notice published in today’s Daily Nation Newspaper under the headline Housing Fund Levy.

The notice by the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works in conjunction with Kenya Revenue Authority has issued a go-head on the implementation of the Housing Fund Levy with effect from 9th May 2019. This is contrary to the Court Orders which are still in force.

The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) attended Court on the 8th of April 2019 for the further mention of this case and obtained an extension of the Court Orders suspending the implementation of the Housing Levy upto the 20th of May 2019 when the case will come up again for mention for further directions from the Court on the Hearing and determination of this case.

The Gazette Notice is therefore unlawful and we shall keep you posted on any further developments.”

Related Content;

Reprieve for Teachers, other workers as court temporarily suspends the housing scheme

The Employment and Labour Relations  court has temporarily suspended the implementation of the government’s contentious deduction of 1.5% towards the New Housing scheme for all workers. This is after the Umbrella union for workers, Central Organization of Trade unions (COTU), moved to court to contest the deductions. The petition was filed by COTU’s Secretary General, Mr. Francis Atwoli.

Employment and Labour Relations Court’s judge, Justice Hellen Wasilwa , issued the orders to suspend the deductions until the 21st of January, 2019, when the matter will be heard. Teachers’ unions; Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) and Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET), are also opposed to the housing scheme.

According to Atwoli, there was no public participation on how the scheme would be implemented. He also says, in his petition, that if implemented the housing scheme will drastically reduce workers’ pay.

The housing scheme is part of president Uhuru’s Big 4 Agenda to construct 500,000 houses for government workers, by 2022. The president was expected to launch the housing scheme tomorrow, Thursday 20th December, 2018.

Read more details, here, on the housing scheme here and why the workers are opposed to it;

Why teachers should just reject the Government’s housing scheme; Details

Read also:

List of Delocalized Schools’ heads, December 2018