If Finance Bills keep raising taxes without benefiting Kenyans, protests will continue-Ikua wa Mbote

Added: 2026-05-11

[00:00:00]The media's also trying and there some of the highlights of the finance bill here. Like the rate of rental income tax overall raised from 7.5 to 10%.

[00:00:09]Locally assembled and manufactured mobile phones now subject to 16% VAT. Of course there's a 5% tax on mitumba and shoes that we've talked a lot about.

[00:00:18]There's an excess duty on mobile phones at 25% and then there's the small brewers to pay the full excess duty of 22 shillings 50 cents per centiliter of pure alcohol. These are just some of the highlights. Of course the promised salary relief not mentioned anywhere but I can see someone telling me Bruce Martin Lee and I assume the last time I checked on Feb and body said the exemption did not need a finance bill not parliament to implement at cabinet had approved it. I don't know if cabinet can approve that.

[00:00:46]Dennis Ogola says whether we support or not it has already been decided. There's nothing we can do about it and that's the lethargy I was talking about and probably that blase feeling that he had going to money and I end up. And Maggie Pendo said no let them take away housing levy and reduce tax for all employees.

[00:01:01]When I come on here I This is just some of the highlights but it's the quality of discourse that even the way people are talking about it at the Bunge la Mwananchi level. We are yet to get that enthusiasm to discuss finance bill even the budget appropriation bill.

[00:01:19]Yet parliament is already asking people to come with their memorandum in the next weeks talk about it. Why do you feel that this time around we are not as excited to talk about this thing?

[00:01:29]Well, thank you and first I need to comment the rise of the Bunge la Mwananchi in the quality that you are getting there.

[00:01:36]Nevertheless the attention that the country is giving to the comment that are coming from those Bunges is quite commendable. This is where you get to feel and get to interact with the real feelings of people. But of course have you realized that the level of discussions, the level of interrogations that are happening at that very level It's the highest you can ever imagine. So, that created the picture and gives you the reality of what Kenyans are, how they are interrogating and how they are looking at all this. Okay, on your question in regards to Finance Bill 2020, I mean 2025, 2026, 2027.

[00:02:14]I can tell you the the people have lost a lot of taste as far as Finance Bill is concerned, especially because they now interrogated based on what taxes are we expected to pay more.

[00:02:28]That's why you could see even someone struggling to tell of the gains of that particular proposal.

[00:02:33]But, they are looking into nini nini wanaongeza, nini wanatoa. So, what are they trying to propose? But, I need to say to to comment something really important and of course, I hope the government people are watching us. I need to tell you that taxes increase or otherwise is not the problem. It is not the bigger elephant in the house. Further, I need to tell you something. Are you aware in Europe taxes are more than 50%?

[00:02:58]More than 50%. Of course, in Kenya they are more than 50%. But, what makes the difference between Europe and ourselves?

[00:03:06]If any government does not find a reason to make people pay tax voluntarily without complaining, then that government has failed. We will see more of this, we will see more of demonstrations into the future if some things are not going to be done correctly. And I want to tell you something.

[00:03:23]In Europe, education is free.

[00:03:25]They are able to provide education, quality education to their citizens from, you know, nursery school to the universities and everything for free at an affordable rate.

[00:03:36]In Europe, hospitals, you can be able to walk in into a private, I mean, into a public hospital and be treated and go home. If you go there, public, you know, schools are better than the private ones. People prefer the public schools than the, you know, than the private schools. So, systems are working. If you go to Europe, people go to, you know, uh to work by bicycles. They don't have to ride on on the public transport because you've been provided serious infrastructures by the government using your taxes such that you can be able to come here without using your car. So, whether the prices of fuel fluctuate, you can still have an alternative that does not necessarily need you to budget more as far as your transportation is concerned. Look at infrastructures in terms of the airports, in terms of the roads, in terms of what we call the commuter trains, like what I had or did a comment about what, you know, France is, you know, proposing in terms of getting people out of town and looking at jams and congestions and things like that. So, there are alternatives that has been provided by the government.

[00:04:37]Imagine a scenario where even the affordability of what we call the mortgage for the acquisition of their houses, it's something affordable. Most people in America and in Europe, they live with mortgages. I mean, they live in their own houses, but it doesn't really pinch them. Look at accessibility to work opportunities in terms of industrializations and things like that.

[00:04:57]People can access employment. That's why many people are moving from here trying to go and seek employment there because guys there have an option of choosing.

[00:05:06]So, if we will continue having finance bills proposing tax increases where the utilization of that tax is not benefiting or it's not being seen. If you I had one guy there question is a very important question, Fred, and I hope you noticed. He said that the amount of tax we are raising, we've even, you know, removed some money from fuel levy to be able to go and pay our debt. He have asked a very simple question. That debt is being paid to who?

[00:05:37]We don't even know.

[00:05:38]And he have also, in fact, added and saying that some of those debts were taken and never arrived here. So, we are paying debts that are in people's pocket. That is the biggest problem we have as a country. Okay. Whether we like it or not, we must do away with corruption and we must bring about accountability to the highest level in government level. We must stop this idea of running government from our pocket and from our houses where you go as president and you start by the roadside and you say barabara hoye and then on the next thing you say we have committed 25 billion shillings, 45 trillion to be able to come and develop roads here in Laikipia. You go to Nyeri and say the same. But it is not in budget. Not in finance bill. It is not in budget. So, what I'm saying, you cannot be saying things and you as I mean, we are confused as a country. And that's the level of understanding the level of of understanding that the Kenyan has. It's a year to elections and I we know politicians can say a lot of things. Uh but this is where the rubber meets the road with appropriations bill and the finance bill that you cannot just promise one thing yet we cannot see it on paper where it's provided for. Um I don't know if my question was valid on where the level of understanding or the level of involvement in this budget budgetary process by the Kenyan. Because listening to Bunge la Mwananchi there, uh you actually see that people do understand this kind of discussion. I'm seeing someone saying Greetings. Please Muthoni Brenda bring the show Bunge la Mwananchi Nyando Road Kayole Bunge la Mwananchi Jacaranda.

[00:07:02]Meaning that more people would want to contribute to some of these discussions.

[00:07:06]I Am I wrong in probably assessing the level of interaction? Uh you've never been right. I mean, as right as [clears throat] you are today.