NCCK opposes creation of CAS positions, calls for reduction of taxes

According to the council’s General Secretary Rev. Canon Chris Kinyanjui, the move will be ill-timed considering the current state of the economy. 

The council now wants Parliament to suspend the process of considering the National Government Administration Laws (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to among others regularise the CAS role.

Speaking on Thursday during a council meeting in Limuru, the religious leaders also weighed in on the current state of the country’s economy calling for urgent measures to reduce the tax burden and a cut down on wasteful government expenditure to restore the country's economy and enable Kenyans rebuild their livelihoods.

“We still believe that there is no taxation without representation so we must live within our means we must stop all theft and this is not the responsibility of the National Treasury but all Kenyans to ensure that the little money that we raise as taxes does not end up in the pocket of a few,” Rev Kinyanjui said.

Their sentiments came a day after Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u appeared before the National Assembly Finance Committee admitting that the country is in a financial fix and that the government is struggling to stay afloat.

“When the Treasury is saying the country is broke, we should not see the creation of additional seats so that people can earn salaries and allowances so we ask parliament to shelve it until Kenya can pay its obligations in terms of debt and providing services,” Kinyanju added.

The religious leaders also commended the National Dialogue Committee for reaching a consensus and submitting their report to parliament even as they urged political leaders to let this be a people-driven initiative. 

“We are urging all players on all sides of the political divide to wait until this report is adopted by parliament as to whether the will be a referendum that is a decision to be made by Kenyans and not politicians,” he noted.