Kenyan High Court Strikes Down Key Clauses of Controversial Finance Law

The decision, which includes the cancellation of a mandatory housing levy, comes amid mass protests and significant job losses.

The Kenyan High Court has struck out key clauses of a controversial finance law, including a mandatory housing levy, deeming them unconstitutional.
The law, enacted earlier this year, raised taxes significantly, leading to mass protests across the country.
The International Monetary Fund backed the law as part of the government's efforts to increase revenue collection to pay for a ballooning foreign debt that now stands at $70 billion.
The Federation of Kenyan Employers reported that the private job market had lost 70,000 jobs since October 2022, attributing this to the finance act.
The housing levy was a significant agenda of President William Ruto, who pledged to construct 1 million homes by 2027 under his affordable housing program.