Nairobi MP Esther Passaris has cautioned Kenyans living abroad against constantly criticizing President William Ruto and his flagship projects, stating that Ruto had remained focused despite certain factors beyond his control coming into play.
During a parliament session on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Passaris urged Kenyans to give Ruto more time to execute the Kenya-Kwanza administration manifesto, noting that no president had taken over during challenging times like him.
“I want to tell Kenyans who are out there, especially the ones who are abroad and probably have never even voted, and don’t even send any taxes to Kenya. We have many Kenyans who live abroad and they make so much noise and keep branding the president a liar,” Passaris stated.
“There is no one who can make a promise and be able to deliver it when things that are beyond his control come into play. We have to understand that the president has only been in office since 2022. From 2022, I have to commend and celebrate him for being a very hardworking and focused president,” Passaris added.
Housing project taxes
The second-term woman representative of Nairobi County remarked that Ruto’s focus had made former Prime Minister Raila Odinga interested in working with him in a broad-based government.
“The president has commissioned houses all across the country; in the housing committee, we have also commissioned markets. You may not want housing but there are millions of Kenyans living in informal settlements who need those houses. I am happy and proud that he (Ruto) fought for the housing tax because we needed a tax that would be dedicated to housing,” Passaris noted.
She equally defended the Kenya-Kwanza Administration universal healthcare project which is headed by the Social Health Authority.
Healthcare taxes
Passaris observed that it was morally wrong for Kenyans earning more money to commit a paltry Ksh500 towards the defunct National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and expect universal healthcare.
“A member of Parliament or a businessman earning a million shillings is morally wrong to pay Ksh500 for NHIF and expect that we would have universal healthcare. Universal healthcare means that anybody in this country can be able to walk into a hospital or a facility and get treated, access medicine and find doctors and nurses,” Passaris said.
Passaris indicated that she had been consistent with her support for increased taxes as this was the only way to achieve healthcare, build decent houses for Kenyans and employ teachers in schools.
