Willis Otieno faults Finance Bill 2026 over high taxes
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, May 11, 2026Safina Party Deputy Party Leader Willis Otieno has slammed the Finance Bill 2026, calling the government’s commitment to workers into question.
In a statement on his X handle on Monday, May 11, 2026, Otieno has taken a strong stance against the proposed Finance Bill 2026, arguing that the government is forcing more taxes on ordinary Kenyans despite past assurances of reducing the cost of living.
“A government cannot continuously market itself as pro-worker while systematically increasing the tax pressure on workers, consumers, and small businesses. At some point, citizens must ask a fundamental political and economic question: Is the government easing the cost of living or merely restructuring how it extracts revenue from an already overburdened population?” Otieno stated.
Otieno said the latest tax proposals are in line with a trend that exposes a Kenyan Kwanza regime’s disconnect between its public discourse and the economic plight of its citizens nationwide. He said the business, the workers and the consumers are bearing an increasing financial burden while the government is looking to raise more money.
With this approach, a government that purports to be pro-worker can’t indefinitely claim to be pro-worker while imposing heavy taxes on small businesses, consumers and workers, Otieno said.
The constitutional lawyer has further cautioned Kenyans to now face a fundamental question, not on the state’s intent to cut living expenses but rather on how to get more taxes from citizens who are already paying high prices but earning less than their living expenses.
Otieno also pointed to the general trend of a gap between political promises and state fiscal policies that is manifested in this bill.
He said the Finance Bill 2026 is once again a testament to the fact that “under this system, promises made in politics and financial reality are entirely different worlds”.
The outspoken lawyer’s comments come as the Finance Bill 2026 has sparked concerns over tax provisions that are likely to hit businesses and households.
Parliament publishes Finance Bill 2026
The Parliament of Kenya has officially published the Finance Bill 2026, setting the stage for another major national debate on taxation, revenue collection, and government spending.
The Parliament of Kenya, in an update issued via Facebook on Saturday, May 9, 2026, said the bill, which was published on May 5, 2026, was submitted to the National Assembly of Kenya by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and outlines a series of proposed changes aimed at raising government revenue.
According to Parliament, the proposed legislation seeks to amend six key tax-related laws.
The targeted tax laws include the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, the Excise Duty Act, the Tax Procedures Act, the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act, and the Stamp Duty Act.
The proposed amendments are expected to affect tax administration, compliance, and revenue collection across multiple sectors of the economy.
“𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, has been published. The Bill published on May 5, 2026, was submitted to the National Assembly by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and formulates proposals relating to revenue-raising measures, including liability to and collection of taxes,” the notice read in part.