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The Senator said even common sense proposals from the opposition were rejected.
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Sifuna said Kenyans are suffering from the high taxation adding that they need some reprieve.
Image: FILE
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has opined that it is very difficult for the Azimio coalition to convince the ruling coalition to make policies that are right for Kenyans.
Sifuna spoke on Thursday during an interview with Citizen TV.
He said the Azimio coalition has tried tabling proposals that are meant to benefit Kenyans, particularly when it comes to the Housing Levy but the Kenya Kwanza coalition gives them a deaf ear.
"Our efforts fall on deaf ears. It is impossible to convince members of the Kenya Kwanza coalition to do anything good for the people," he said.
Sifuna alleged the Kenya Kwanza coalition forced the Housing levy on Kenyans through the Affordable Housing Bill.
He said Azimio had for instance proposed that if someone has been diagnosed with cancer or any other terminal illness, for which treatment is very expensive, they should be allowed to focus on their medication.
"You can not be selling this person with terminal illness a house after 30 years. They need to be focusing on their medication," he said.
Sifuna said Kenyans are suffering from the high taxation adding that they need some reprieve.
Further, Sifuna noted that the government will even be introducing a new levy on agricultural products.
On Tuesday, President William Ruto won big in his push to bring back the housing levy after senators passed the Housing Bill.
In a heated five-hour session, government-leaning senators capitalised on their numbers to shut down the opposition-sponsored amendments.
The amendments, the opposition argued, sought to give Kenyans relief.
Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi, who presided over the session, announced that 27 senators voted to support the Affordable Housing Bill of 2023.
The Senators approved the Bill with amendments proposed by the government wing through the Senate’s Housing Committee chairman Karungo Thang’wa.
Some 10 Azimio senators voted against the Bill. At least 10 other senators who were eligible to vote were absent from the House.
“The results for the division are as follows; abstentions zero, ayes 27 and nays 10,” Murungi said.
Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni, who sponsored the opposition’s amendments, wanted the deductions towards the housing levy capped at Sh2,500.
He also wanted the affordable housing levy to be paid at 1.5 per cent of the net salary of an employer or employee.
The proposed law states that the affordable housing levy should be pegged on the employee's gross salary or any gross income received or accrued that is not a salary.
The senator also wanted the Treasury CS to exempt from payment of the levy any person who enters into a subsisting mortgage that is not contemplated under the Act.
Omogeni also sought exceptions for any person residing in a rural area and has a certificate of title registered in their name and any person engaged in agricultural farming or business activities whose annual turnover is less than Sh288,000 per year.
Other exemptions were to touch on individuals aged 50 years and above, who are engaged in informal business activities as well as any person with less than five years remaining to statutory retirement at the time of the enactment of the Act.