Esther Passaris Defends Gachagua, Asks Kenyans To Give Ruto Time

Esther Passaris has defied her political coalition, Azimio la Umoja, by expressing her endorsement of the housing levy outlined in the contentious Finance Bill 2023.

In doing so, the Nairobi Woman Representative defended Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over his recent remarks that government cannot afford development projects without the Bill.

“There is a lot of incitement around this whole Finance Bill issue. I was in Kitui yesterday and their MP spoke about cessation and people were clapping. And then soon after he was telling me they need roads, where does he expect the money to build roads to come from?” he posed.

“If your MP advises you not to support the bill then they should not ask for roads in their areas,” Gachagua said last Sunday.

According to Passaris, the DP was misquoted by the press to make it sound like he was threatening MPs opposed to the Finance Bill.

“The DP was answering you (Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu) because you had so many wants, you asked for roads and so many things. Gachagua asked how will we do all that if we don’t have taxes. There is a different way to take in English, it is not our mother tongue and it is complex,” she explained.

Adding: “It is like we need the taxes to be able to build the roads but I did not hear him say specifically that if you don’t support the Finance Bill you will not be able to get any support in terms of infrastructure.”

Passaris, who spoke on KTN on Tuesday, June 6, 2023, voiced her approval for specific elements of the Finance Bill, citing her support for the housing levy as a means to eradicate slums in Nairobi.

She implored Kenyans to have some patience for President William Ruto.

“I urge Kenyans to exercise patience and give Ruto some time to implement the housing plan. I think the housing project will play a crucial role in eradicating slums in the capital.

“Yes, many people are shouting and complaining about the Bill. However, let me state here that there is no gain without pain. We need to eliminate slums in Nairobi and the housing plan is one way to do this. Also, the housing project has a lot of goodies that will come with it once it has been rolled out.” The Nairobi woman representative said.

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