Jimi Wanjigi calls for true economic liberation amid credit crunch
By Faith Lagat, September 28, 2025Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has intensified his call for economic reforms, criticising the government’s domestic borrowing practices and warning that they are worsening Kenya’s credit crunch.
In a post on X on September 28, 2025, Wanjigi said the state’s borrowing from local banks deprives businesses of much-needed credit.
“By draining our banks, the state leaves businesses starved of credit. We must be liberated from this injustice, and only those who have never been elected, you and me together, can free ourselves and lead Kenya into true economic liberation,” he wrote.
Tax proposal
Wanjigi’s remarks build on his recent policy proposals aimed at easing the financial burden on Kenyans.
On September 26, 2025, he announced a plan to replace the current 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) with a 5 per cent sales tax to spur consumption and stimulate business activity.
“Our solution to overtaxation is simple. Scrap the 16 per cent VAT and replace it with a fairer 5 per cent sales tax,” he stated.
At the Safina Party’s National Delegates Conference on September 18, 2025, Wanjigi launched his “FIST Agenda,” focusing on four pillars: ending debt, cutting taxes, guaranteeing free education and healthcare, and unlocking credit to enable prosperity. He has framed these measures as necessary to create a fairer economic system and to break what he describes as the cycle of political and economic suppression.
Debt rebellion
On September 22, 2025, Wanjigi posted a call for a “Debt Rebellion,” declaring, “Our journey begins with courage, the courage to say NO to odious debt. Every shilling spent on debt is a shilling stolen from our future as Kenyans. With the FIST Agenda, we declare Debt Rebellion: Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay!” His stance echoes warnings from former Chief Justice David Maraga about the risks of rising public debt since 2013.
The Safina Party, under Wanjigi’s leadership, has positioned itself as a platform for urgent economic and governance reforms. Deputy Leader Willis Otieno has supported this push by questioning the legitimacy of certain loans, including the 2014 Eurobond, and calling for elected officials at police stations to strengthen oversight.