South Mugirango Member of Parliament Silvanus Osoro has defended the 2024 Finance Bill, dismissing Kenyans’ opposition to the raft of the proposed additional taxes.

Speaking on Citizen TV, Osoro argued that the government relies on the proposed taxes to serve Kenyans, stating that when people demand services like roads, employment, and electricity, they are essentially asking to be taxed.

“When you wake up and say you want roads built you are actually saying we need to be taxed because that road must be built with your taxes.”

“When you graduate, get a TSC number and say you want employment, you are ideally saying please get someplace you can tax, so I get employed,” said Osoro

“When an intern teacher protests in the streets wanting to be employed on permanent and pensionable terms, they are telling the government to expand the tax base.”

Osoro Criticizes the Opposition to the Finance Bill

Osoro claimed that the resistance to new taxes is ironic and a deliberate campaign to “demonize” President William Ruto’s government.

 Also Read: Finance Bill: Govt Drops Contentious Tax Proposals After Pressure

“The Kenyan public must know that so that you don’t make it look like you’re demonizing government, like it’s some kind of devil somewhere that wakes up in the morning and squeezes you.”

Additionally, the MP emphasized that the government needs more revenue from Kenyans to fund the Ksh.4 trillion budget, which includes salaries, development projects, and other expenses.

He stated that the allocation set aside for salaries and development projects is not enough, and that the government must raise more revenue through taxes.

Protests over the Controversial Finance Bill

Osoro’s comments come as the government faces mounting pressure from Kenyan citizens to revise the controversial Finance Bill.

On Tuesday June 18, Kenyans took to the streets in protest over the punitive tax proposals contained in the draft.

Also Read: Willy Mutunga Counters Ruto After Bragging About Kenya Being a Democratic Country

The protests dubbed ” Occupy Parliament” saw Kenyans rally in opposition to the unpopular bill which they said will do more harm than good.

The government later announced that it had scrapped select levies proposed in the bill, among them being the controversial 16% Value Added Tax on bread and excise duty on vegetable oil.

“We have listened to the view Kenyans in the form of public participation and there are two things we must do. 16 percent on vat on bread has been dropped,” said Molo MP Kimani Kuria.

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