Opposition terms changes to Finance Bill insufficient, demands total withdrawal

Members of Parliament allied to Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition have poured cold water on changes announced by the ruling party on Tuesday on the contentious Finance Bill 2024.

Speaking after a Parliamentary Group meeting of their own, the opposition lawmakers argue that the tax proposals that the government side has removed are insufficient. They insist that the best thing under the circumstances was to drop the whole Bill completely.

“As a coalition, we (Azimio la Umoja) reject the entire Bill and demand its total withdrawal. We encourage Kenyans to continue engaging with the bill and continue demanding that the government does the right thing,” said Opiyo Wandayi, the Minority Leader of the National Assembly who read a statement on behalf of the MPs.

The MPs from the Raila Odinga-led coalition further argued that the proposed changes are not substantial enough to improve the lives of Kenyans who have been subjected to heavy taxes contained in the current Finance Act.

“Despite the changes announced, we are a coalition are not convinced that they go deep enough to make the end product be a law that can promote investment and economic growth and contain corruption and wasteful spending,” noted Wandayi

While faulting the new tax proposals by the government, the opposition lawmakers maintained that there was never any justification for proposing to increase tax on bread, or tax on sugarcane being delivered to factories, as well as the motor vehicle tax which he termed outrageous.

They faulted the decision to have the proposals that were later removed in the first place.

“The changes to the bill announced at the Statehouse create a feeling that the government is involved in mind games with the citizens.  They create the feeling that some of the proposals now dropped were included in the initial bill just to create outrage and give the administration an opportunity to claim to be listening and caring,” said the Minority leader

At the same time, the minority side alleged plans to introduce other taxes that will be punitive to the ordinary citizens.

“We demand the outright dropping of the proposal by the transport cabinet secretary to increase fuel levy by Ksh.9 per liter. Our position that there shall be no more ad hoc raising of prices of fuel,” said Wandayi

The opposition lauded members of the public and MPs who have expressed strong objections to the proposals in the Finance Bill 2024, which they insist remain punitive and insensitive.

“We further applaud the emerging citizen power that piled pressure on members of parliament and arrogant government officials leading to the current climb down,” they said