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Mogotio Member of Parliament Reuben Kiborek now says the Judiciary risks budget cuts due to recent rulings that have stalled key government projects.

Speaking during a fundraiser at St. Cecilia KUSA Catholic Parish in Nyakach, Kisumu County, the MP warned that Parliament would use its powers to punish the Judiciary over the rulings he claimed go against the public interest.

Citing recent unfavourable rulings on the Housing Levy and Social Health Insurance Fund, Kiborek said the judges have no idea about the suffering of many poor Kenyans, who are unable to afford decent houses and medical services.

“Social Health Insurance Fund ilikuwa na nia ya kufanya UHC ikue afforadble kwa kila mkenya lakini mtu mwenye anaketi pale Judiciary mwenye hana mgonjwa katika hospital mwenye anahangaika kupata pesa ya matibabu anaenda kupinga hiyo Bill. Plan ya housing, ambayo wakenya wengi wanaishi kwa nyumba mbaya na vijana wetu hawana ajira, mtu anaketi judiciary anapinga hiyo Bill kwa sababu anataka kuonyesha Exective ako na nguvu,” Kiborek said on Sunday.

“Sisi pia Parliament tuko na nguvu moja tulipewa ya kutengeneza budget na bwana chair wa budget (Ndindi Nyoro) nataka nikuombe tunapotengeneza budget inayokuja hii Judiciary ikikataa kubehave tunakata budget yao yote mpaka watembee na baiskeli town ndio wajue maisha ya wagonjwa inamaana kama hiyo ya magari iko na AC iko na maaana na hiyo nyumba yao iko na maana… Tunyonge hiyo budget yao yote wakue wanaomba omba maji wakitembea na miguu ndio wajue vile wakenya ambao hawana kazi wanaishi.“

Loosely translated; “The Social Health Insurance Fund was meant to make Universal Health Coverage affordable for every Kenyan. However, someone sitting in the Judiciary, who doesn’t have a sick person in the hospital and is struggling to get money for medical treatment, opposes that Bill. The housing plan which seeks to address the issue of many Kenyans living in poor conditions and unemployment among the youth, is being opposed by someone in the Judiciary because they want to show the Executive that they have power.

“We in Parliament also have power, which is to create the budget. I want to ask you, chair of the budget (Ndindi Nyoro), that when we are creating the upcoming budget if the Judiciary refuses to behave, let’s cut their entire budget until they walk and ride bicycles in town to understand what the jobless Kenyans experience every day.”

Kiborek’s remarks come two days after President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza administration suffered a setback after the Court of Appeal declined to suspend orders barring the state from deducting a 1.5 per cent Housing Levy.

In a ruling rendered by a three-judge bench, the Appellate Court declined a plea by Cabinet Secretary National Treasury and Planning Njuguna Ndungu, Attorney General Justin Muturi and Kenya Revenue Authority to suspend the High Court Judgement pending the hearing of their appeals.

The High Court had ruled against the Housing Levy in November last year, saying it was introduced without a legal framework.

The court also suspended the implementation of the Social Health Insurance Fund pending a hearing of a petition challenging the health scheme. The Court of Appeal, however, lifted the orders on Friday.

President Ruto, who has been at loggerheads with the Judiciary over the rulings, has vowed to challenge the halting of the Housing Levy.

Speaking in Meru, the Head of State insisted that, besides eliminating slum areas, the housing program stands to benefit thousands of unemployed youths.

“We want to build housing units and create jobs for the youth according to the Kenya Kwanza manifesto. In the housing programme, we can create over 500,000 jobs this year and this is a priority for my government,” he said.