Nairobi — President William Ruto has singled out vested interest and incompetent leadership in successive regimes as key impediments of development.
President Ruto added that corruption bedeviling the Executive, Legislature as well as Judiciary has derailed the country's progress.
"Corruption anywhere in all arms of government must be dealt with," he said during a groundbreaking ceremony of the affordable housing project in Nanyuki.
"Three things have held our country hostage and have led to the transformation of Kenya to be delayed. We must deal decisively with corruption, incompetent leadership and vested interest," he explained.
The Head of State insisted corruption in the Judiciary will not impede government efforts to afford Kenyans employment, affordable houses and universal healthcare.
"We are going to provide the leadership that will transform the country. We are going to deal with vested interest that's sabotaging our progress," Ruto said.
President Ruto has repeatedly accused state officers who have benefitted from the previous regime of working to sabotage key policies in his government.
Attacking judges
His attacks on the judiciary, particularly a section of judges in the High Court, came after the Constitutional Court dealt a blow to the housing programme after declaring the Housing Levy unconstitutional for being discriminatory.
The judges ruled that Section 84 of the Finance Act, which amended the Employment Act to introduce the Housing Levy in violation to the principles of taxation for making distinction between formal and informal sectors, thus creating unequal and inequitable principles.
The High Court also slammed the brakes on the implementation and enforcement of the Social Health Insurance Fund Act 2023, the Primary Health Care Act 2023 and the Digital Health Act 2023.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) obtained court orders stopping the government from the planned rollout of the universal health coverage after contesting key provisions in the three Acts.
