Kenya to reintroduce some tax proposals that sparked deadly protests

 

Kenya’s new finance minister says some of the proposed taxes that led to weeks of deadly protests earlier this year will be reintroduced through a tax amendment bill as the country struggles to find revenue to pay off debts to lenders including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and China.

 

Some Kenyans, enraged by the rising cost of living, have already criticized John Mbadi's announcement, which was made in a local television interview that aired on Sunday. Their anger led demonstrators to storm Parliament, forcing President William Ruto to veto a contentious finance bill and fire the majority of his Cabinet.

 

However, a few of the ideas from that divisive finance law have recently been revived. According to Mbadi, the tax revision bill will include a tax on products deemed to be non-environmentally friendly among its many other provisions.

 

"This nation is not a landfill," he declared.

 

The levy, according to its detractors, would drive up the price of necessities like sanitary towels and diapers.

 

In response to the minister's comments, the youth-led protest movement has already declared that protests will go on throughout Kenya. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports that since the protests began in mid-June, over 50 people have died amid allegations of police brutality.

An opposition lawmaker, Robert Mbui, on Monday told a local television station that the plan to reintroduce certain proposals was a “mistake” and accused the new minister of “double speak” after saying earlier this month he had no plans to increase taxes.

 

Kenya’s president had defended the new taxes and warned there would be consequences after withdrawing the previous bill. The IMF, which supports an economic reform program in Kenya, earlier suggested some of the controversial tax changes.

 

“We are confident that we will be able to find a balanced path forward,” the IMF said after the finance bill was withdrawn.

 

Protesters also have called for the president’s resignation, but Ruto said he would not do it.