The move to deduct 1.5% of gross salary of teachers and civil servants to finance the housing scheme is just but another oppression on the already overtaxed Kenyan teachers and civil servants of this country. Its totally unfair to hurt employees so as to advance political interests. It’s more strange that the scheme is only getting support from the government, no other Kenyan is supporting it but the government seems determined to push it through. This leads to the big question, who is the likely beneficiary of this scheme, is it the teacher or the ordinary Kenyan civil servant? The answer seems to be a big No.
In a country where plundering of public resources seems fashionable, corruption celebrated and rewarded, the 1.5% deduction is another opportunity for some people to smile all the way to the bank while the Kenyan teacher and civil servants who will be bank rolling the scheme cry all the way from the bank.
Kenya has more than enough money to finance the housing scheme without hurting and demoralizing the hardworking teachers and civil servants by adding another deduction and an obvious pathway yo more plunder of resources on our already overwhelmed payslips. A country where billions are looted almost everyday from almost every sector doesn’t need to overtax its citizenry to finance projects, all it needs is to seal corruption loopholes and save the billions which can then finance these ambitious projects.
Another question that begs for serious answers is, how will the units be distributed to these workers? What happens to the many workers who already have their own houses?
It’s time the leadership of this country listened to the teachers and other workers. Forcing unpopular deductions on our payslips without commensurate salary increments is unacceptable. A time has come for the Kenyan worker to be in solidarity with each other and make one voice in unison by saying NO to this housing deduction, that time is now.
By Laban Bosire.
(The Writer is the Current Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) Chairman, Kisii County.)
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