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Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has weighed in on the move by the government to have access to individual M-Pesa transactions.

In a statement shared via his official Twitter account, Atwoli termed the move as ill-advised and counterproductive.

He explained that the move will make Kenyans avoid using mobile money platforms and consequently destroy the business of mobile transfers.

“The move by the current government as outlined in the 2023 Budget Policy Statement to have access t and or investigate mobile money transactions, MPESA is ill-advised and counterproductive,” he wrote.

“First, a majority of users of mobile banking are hustlers and the poor who overwhelmingly voted for this government. Second, this move will ultimately make Kenyans avoid using mobile money platforms and as a result, destroy a great innovation that has since helped ease the movement of money, especially from the urban to rural areas,” he added.

The move by GoK to have access to and or investigate MPESA transactions is ill-advised and counterproductive. Instead, GoK should ensure that outsourcing companies regularize the employment terms and conditions and that they pay all the statutory deductions including PAYE & NSSF. pic.twitter.com/h7bJuHxzbi

— Francis Atwoli NOM (DZA), CBS, EBS, MBS. (@AtwoliDza) January 20, 2023

“The government should ensure that the more than 5,000 outsourcing companies regularize the employment terms and conditions of work for their employees by ensuring that they pay all the statutory deductions including PAYE, NSSF and NHIF among others,” he added.

The COTU boss subsequently implored the President Ruto-led administration to instead launch a crackdown on outsourcing companies whilst formalizing jobs in the informal sector.

Earlier, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had announced plans to track individuals’ usage of mobile money by monitoring transactions in a bid to milk out at least Ksh3 trillion in taxes in accordance with the 2023/2024 budget proposal.