Lawyer sues over rise in price of cooking gas
By Nancy.Gitonga, March 11, 2022
A city lawyer yesterday moved to court to challenge the government’s move to further increase prices of cooking gas.
In a certificate of urgency filed before the high Court, lawyer Edward Asitiba wants orders stopping the government from further hiking the prices of cooking gas in the country.
He also wants the court to issue orders compelling Speaker of National Assembly to enact legislation scrapping off the 16 percent Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPGs).
“The court be pleased to issue conservatory orders forthwith restraining the respondents, their agents, servants or assistants from re-introducing VAT on LPGs which is a basic commodity,” lawyer Asitiba urges the court.
Sharp drop
According to the lawyer, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner General, KRA Board of Directors, Cabinet Secretary National Treasury, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, National Assembly Speaker who are listed as respondedents in the case enacted legislation imposing 16 per cent VAT on the already highly priced LPGs and putting it out of reach of many Kenyans.
The petition comes days after some cooking gas dealers reviewed their retail prices, increasing the refilling price of 13 kilogramme cylinder by close to Sh250.
The petitioner states that prices of cooking gas have jumped by almost 50 per cent over the last year one year.