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Political leaders from Gusii have told President William Ruto to give Kenyans a tax break, following the failure by the bi-partisan talks group to agree on how to deal with the high cost of living.

The leaders said the public outcry over the high cost of living should not be ignored.

The politicians including MPs Clive Gisairo (Kitutu Masaba), Stephen Mogaka (West Mugirango), Patrick Osero (Borabu), Charles Onchoke (Bonchari) Jerusha Momanyi (Nyamira Woman Rep) and Nyamira County Assembly Speaker Enock Okero said Kenyans were experiencing tough economic times which could only be eased by relaxation of the exorbitant taxes that the Government had imposed on the people.

Speaker Okero said the Bipartisan talks Committee should have not spent its time debating on issues to do with government positions at the expense of the suffering of Kenyans.

Okero said the report of the bipartisan talks will not be meaningful unless it has resolutions touching on reduction of the cost of living in the country.

Mogaka said it was worrying the rate at which the cost of living was increasing in the country making it unbearable and urged the President to consider relieving the citizens of some aspects of the high taxes.

Cost of living

 “All those who were involved in the talks, we never sent you to negotiate on seats and other issues that are of little consequence to mwananchi. We shall resolve to demonstrate if the issues touching on the cost of living are not well addressed in the Report that was submitted on Friday,” Okero said.

Osero stated that it will be imperative for the country to be relieved from the heavy taxation which the current regime had imposed on them and urged the President to drop some of the taxes.

“The taxes are too many and punitive. We are not saying that the government should not collect taxes but there are some unnecessary ventures that the government is involving itself in. For example the Housing Levy, will lead to Government shut down because of it has been dropped?” Osero posed.