The orange democratic movement (ODM) party over the weekend came out breathing fire against the Finance Bill 2024, saying the bill proposes a raft of tax measures which if passed by Parliament, will add more burden to Kenyans.
The National Treasury has proposed to introduce a 16 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on bread and milk among other items in the market and, which may see the price of a 400 grams loaf increase by at least Sh10 among other tax measures.
The opposition hit out that some of the proposed tax measures directly affect Kenyans and they have called upon the opposition and all Kenyans to reject the Finance Bill.
Addressing congregants at Kwa Secondary, Suna East in Migori County, during a fund raiser presided over by party leader Raila Odinga, John Mbadi, Nominated Member of Parliament threatened to lead his colleagues in Parliament to reject the Finance Bill, saying it would hurt Kenyans if passed.
“As one of the experts and Member of Azimio Economic Council, I have already seen the bill is going to hurt our people. We need to reject Finance bill 2024 in totality.” said Mr Mbadi, and vowed to whip up opposition MPs to reject the tax measures when the bill will be tabled in Parliament for debate.
On her part, Mishi Mboko, the MP for Likoni, rebuked the government’s plan to increase VAT on vital food and non-food items saying bread is a product that the people uses daily hence many Kenyans will be affected if the proposed VAT sails through in Parliament.
Ms Rosa Buyu, the MP for Kisumu West, who also spoke at the event, criticised the Mount Kenya proponents of the ongoing One Man, One Vote, One Shilling formula debate on national cake distribution, terming them hypocritical.
She said the formula was one of the proposals included in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) bill which was opposed by the same Kenyans, led by the then MP for Mathira Rigathi Gachagua and now Deputy President.
“In the previous handshake Government, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga brought BBI and among it’s proposals was the one man, one vote, one shilling formula, but Rigathi Gachagua himself, now supporting the formula on national resource distribution vehemently opposed it.” said Buyu.
“How come today those who rejected BBI in 2022 are the biggest proponents of the same proposal they rejected in the BBI?. Kenyans want to be united and we will not accept something that will divide us.” Ms Buyu warned.
IAN BYRON