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The Majority Chip Whip in the National Assembly Sylvanus Osoro has defended Kenya Kwanza’s approach to collecting more taxes through the Finance Bill 2024.

The bill remains a contentious issue, and the public voiced its opposition through demonstrations on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, before the proposed law was amended.

Osoro, while supporting the Kenya Kwanza regime, said tax collection is an essential move that ensures the government meets its obligations to the people.

“When you wake up and say you want roads built or graduate, get a TSC number, and say you want employment, you say you need to be taxed. Ideally, you say, ‘Get someplace you can tax so I get employed’. When an intern teacher protests in the streets wanting to be employed permanently, they are telling the government to expand the tax base,” the South Mugirango said during a morning national debate with a local TV station.

“When someone in the village says they want electricity, they simply say, ‘Please, tax us’. Kenyans must know that the government runs on your taxes.”

To fund the 2024/25 budget, the government targets borrowing Ksh333.8 billion from external sources and Ksh263.2 billion from the domestic market to finance it.

Osoro said to get such an amount to hit the budget estimates, there is no option remaining for the government but to tax Kenyans.

“You need to get a source to fund this Ksh4 trillion, pay salaries, build roads, and supply electricity,” the vocal MP said.

After the UDA Parliamentary Group met President William Ruto at State House on Tuesday, it was agreed that 16 per cent VAT on bread, VAT on the transportation of sugar, and VAT on financial services and foreign exchange transactions be removed.

A contentious proposal to tax 2.5 per cent on motor vehicles was also removed as well as excise duty on vegetable oil.

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