The recent successive overturning of two important tax laws by the Court of Appeal, could have been a respite to most of the Kenyans, but seems to have annoyed some.

The Federation of Evangelical & Indigenous Christian churches of Kenya (FEICCK) chairman, Bishop Samuel Njiriri feels that last week’s declaration of the Finance Bill 2023 as illegal by the Court of Appeal, and January’s refusal by the same court to issue stay orders – suspending the implementation of the High Court decision issued on November 28, 2023 – is bad for the country’s economy.

The cleric wondered that even as many Kenyans applauded the courts for the bold moves, the declarations were actually going to have a long-term negative impact on the country’s growth. “The Kenyan courts are not taking the country to any better direction, but the grave. They are not doing any good for Kenyans, unfortunately,” Bishop Njiriri, also the presiding Bishop, of Steward’s Revival Pentecostal Church said during an interview.

In a judgement dated November 28, 2023, the High Court declared sections 76, 77, 78, 84, 87, 88 and 89 of the Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional.

The contentious sections provide for among other things, the introduction of a 1.5 per cent Housing Levy.  This was upheld by the Court of Appeal last week, in another landmark judgement.

On the weekend, Bishop Njiriri claimed that the Courts were being held hostage by the civil societies, and denying the government its rightful responsibility of collecting taxes.