Kisii senator Richard Onyonka insists that the controversial Finance Bill, 2023, will be passed by Parliament whether Kenyans like it or not.
Speaking on Citizen TV on Tuesday morning May 30, 2023, Onyoka said that Bill will sail through Parliament owing to Kenya Kwanza's majority in the bicameral House.
He noted that President William Ruto has marshalled his troops to pass the Bill in spite of it being very unpopular with Kenyans.
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"This Bill will pass why? This team KK (Kenya Kwanza) they have got the majority and the truth and the reality is that I am sure the president is monitoring what everybody is doing, why? Because he wouldn't want for the first time his wish to be flatted and that is to make sure that the Bill passes. Whether the Bill is going to be popular with Kenyans, right now the Bill is extremely unpopular, but the President has an agenda," Onyonka said.
The Kisii senator added that the Bill will make Kenyans understand that choices have consequences. He sarcastically stated that Ruto should increase the tax to 100 per cent.
"The joke we make amongst us at the opposition is how we wish Kenyans would just give Ruto what he wants because if Kenyans are complaining they elected him. So for us, we are saying let him increase the tax to 100 per cent because Kenyans need to understand like it has been said before - choices do have consequences," Onyonka said.
According to the senator, Kenyans will in future be evaluating presidential candidates before voting to really scrutinise their agendas and how they affect the cost of living.
“Kenyans will now begin to look at a candidate when voting, what does the manifesto say? Right now, we do not vote for anything. The Kenyan public deserves what William Ruto is doing,” Onyonka said.
"Ruto came in there are things which he used to say we in the opposition used to find them outrageous, we knew it would never work out. But look at where we are now, every single thing that he talked about that he would do has a replica, a reversal of exactly what he was going to see. He said there would be no taxes, look at what he is asking for? He said the prices for fuel, look at what has happened since he took over?" he added.
Finance Bill 2023
The proposed Finance Bill 2023 is currently in the public participation stage.
The Bill has elicited mixed reactions from members of the public with a majority expressing their disapproval, citing the struggling economy that has seen prices of basic commodities hit the roof.
If passed into law, an employee and their employer will be required to contribute 3 per cent of their income towards the national housing scheme.
Ruto insists that the contributions would help Kenyans access affordable housing.
The President aims to increase government revenues from taxes collected to be able to fulfil his campaign promises.
Among the proposals is to raise the income tax from the current 30 per cent to 35 per cent for those earning Ksh500,000 and above.
The Bill seeks the introduction of a tax on human hair, eyelashes, switches, and artificial nails in a move that will raise the prices of these beauty products whose usage is on the rise.
If passed, the Bill will also increase the VAT on petroleum products from the current 8 per cent to 16 per cent.
