The opposition coalition boss and leader of the Azimio One Kenya Coalition Raila Odinga has raised a red flag in opposing president William Ruto’s tax proposals terming the controversial Finance Bill 2023 a burden and punishment to struggling Kenyans.
While addressing the media in Nairobi yesterday, Raila disparaged the Kenya Kwanza administration saying the move will further impoverish already poverty stricken population mostly the youth and women.
He argued that despite Ruto’s promise to lessen the burden of low income earners, he has made the situation worse.
“The Bill is a promissory note to strangle and suffocate the hustlers from whose necks Ruto promised to remove the rope.” Raila said.
He called upon all Azimio Members of Parliament (MPs) to vote against the bill which he labelled as “anti-people” in the National Assembly.
He also called for immediate suspension of non-essential government expenditure.
“We want the people of Kenya to understand that it is Kenya Kwanza’s Bill, it is Kenya Kwanza’s budget, it will be Kenya Kwanza strangling Kenyans, we will instruct our MPs to have nothing to do with it.” Raila noted.
He singled out appointments of Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs), continued hiring in public service and expenditure on “political operations” disguised as relief food distribution or fundraisers among wasteful initiatives.
He also called for scaling down of both domestic and international travel, conference and workshops, freezing of ministerial out of station allowances, ministerial house allowances and domestic allowance for cabinet and principal secretaries as well as effective anti-corruption efforts to tame wastage.
“Kenyans cannot be taxed to the bone just because of Kenya Kwanza’s internal weaknesses.” Raila added.
Odinga highlighted Turnover Tax, Income tax adjustment, Housing Fund, digital economy taxes, Tax appeal tribunals, taxation of reimbursement, taxasion of trade associations, increased VAT payments, excise duty on imported cement and tax on beauty products among proposals Azimio lawmakers will reject.
