President William Ruto’s administration is not done taxing Kenyans.
Despite the uproar over the Finance Bill, which would dramatically raise the cost of living due to rising commodity prices, Ruto’s government is proposing even more taxes on Kenyans.
During an interview, Mbeere North Member of Parliament Geoffrey Ruku declared that Kenya is the least taxed country in the world, implying that taxes should be raised further to fund various government programs.
Ruku, a Kenya Kwanza MP, believes that raising taxes will enhance revenue collection, which will augment basic initiatives such as education, health, and infrastructure.
“One of the approaches we should pursue is to progressively increase our tax revenue. “What the Kenya Kwanza government is proposing right now is that we will be able to raise from 14%-16% and thus go to Ksh.2.8 trillion, which would be enough to finance developmental activities like education,” he added.
The MP then compared Kenya’s taxation rate to that of other countries, determining that Kenya is the least taxed, unlike South Africa, Botswana, Norway, Turkey, and Germany, which, according to him, are taxed more.
He stated that most Kenyans cannot afford a good dwelling in the country and that the government is developing a comprehensive plan to address the country’s slum woes.
He claimed that housing is a serious issue in the country and warned that if housing is not addressed, Kenya will have more than 3000 slums in 15 years.
He backed Ruto’s Finance Bill, which would tax salaried workers based on their earnings.
