Listen to This Article Enhance your reading experience by listening to this article.

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party is expected to hold a public rally at the Kamukunji Grounds after Parliament passed the controversial Finance Bill 2023.

Speaking during a presser on Thursday, June 22, 2023, Martha Karua and other Azimio leaders invited Kenyans to a consultation at the Kamukunji Grounds on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.

While responding to questions from journalists, Azimio said they would chart the next course of action after holding the consultative rally at Kamukunji Grounds.

“Tuesday is the determinant. As we have said an institution called Parliament gets its mandate from the people. But the people retain the residual power. The Executive the Judiciary, everybody, every state officer gets mandate from the people. The people will meet at Kamukunji Grounds and they will roar back at Parliament and at the Executive,” Martha Karua said.

Finance Bill 2023

Members of Parliament (MPs) on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, approved the proposed Finance Bill, 2023.

The Bill, which was passed after a third reading by the National Assembly, will now be sent to President William Ruto for assention before it becomes a law.

The MPs approved over 70 amendments to the Bill last evening.

Among the key contentious issues in the Bill include the housing levy, which was amended to 1.5 per cent of gross pay from the initial 3 per cent, and Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products which was increased from 8 to 16 per cent.

Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi told the House that the proposal seeking to double VAT on petroleum was punitive.

The firebrand legislator warned that passing the Bill as it is would be the beginning of the fall of President William Ruto’s regime.

“If by any chance this clause becomes part of the bill and the VAT on fuel is increased to 16%, this will be the saddest day in the history of this country. If by any chance this Finance Bill is passed and it becomes an act of Parliament, that will mark the beginning of the fall of this regime,” Wandayi warned.

However, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah defended the decision to double tax on petroleum, saying Kenya’s neighbours like Uganda charge more.

“VAT on fuel in Kenya, even at 16 per cent, is still the lowest with Uganda at 18 per cent,” Ichung’wah said.

The Finance Bill seeks to raise additional revenue in taxes in the region of Ksh130 billion to finance the Kenya Kwanza administration’s Ksh3.6 trillion budget for the 2023/24 financial year.