Public participation in proposed tax measures kicks off

In a fresh round to try and pump life into a section of tax proposals contained in the withdrawn 2024 Finance Bill, the National Assembly Committee on Finance is on the road again, collecting views on some of the tax proposals that seek to raise Ksh.178 billion to finance this year's budget.

Kenyans in Bungoma and Isiolo counties on the first day of the public participation expressed varied reactions, with a section feeling that about 99 per cent of the proposals were okay while others accused the government of giving with one hand and taking with the other.

“Hapo kwa number 4; taxing ya aircraft ata mkiweza kuongeza huko zaidi itakuwa ni saw ana hii mambo ya mshahara. Hayo mengine yote tunakubaliana nayo nafikiria 99 ni sawa io ingine ni kupiga msasa tu,” Isiolo resident Abdikadir Khalifa said.

With memories of the June-July Gen Z protests still fresh, attendees of today’s public participation exercise in both counties did not fail to remind the MPs of consequences of their defiant approval of the withdrawn Finance Bill 2024.

“Nadhani Wakenya wamechoka kulipa ushuru na ushuru wenyewe wakenya hawapati return kama huduma. Inauma sana leo tunaletewa tupitishe hii bill, lakini ikianza kufanya kazi hatutajulishwa vile inafanya kazi,” Abdirahman Abdalla, an Isiolo resident, said.

Another local Patrick Muniaru added: “Ata tukisema tunaipinga itapita. Hiyo ni obvious na kama itapita sababu najua itapita. Ni ombi langu, wacheni tunapolipa ushuru tuone kazi tukifanyiwa.”

Same as the last finance bill, the National Assembly Finance Committee chair and Molo MP Kuria Kimani, has reassured Kenyans that their views on this bill will be incorporated, promising to do away with proposals that Kenyans do not want.