Kenya will 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
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — 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.
The announcement by John Mbadi in a local television interview broadcast Sunday has already drawn criticism from some Kenyans whose anger over the rising cost of living had led demonstrators to storm Parliament and pressure President William Ruto to drop a contentious finance bill and fire most of his Cabinet.
But now some of the proposals in that unpopular finance bill are back. Mbadi said the tax amendment bill will include dozens of measures including a tax on goods considered not environmentally friendly.
“This country is not a dumping place,” he said.
