A Nairobi resident has filed a case at the Milimani Law Court under the certificate of urgency, seeking to have the 16 percent value added tax (VAT) on cooking gas suspended. 

The petitioner, Dindi Oscar Okumu, argues that the National Assembly did not engage members of the public for constructive public participation, before passing the Finance Bill, 2020 in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic. 

“By failing to engage the public prior to passing the Bill, the National Assembly did not understand and did not take into account the enormous economic and environmental challenges the said legislation posed,” read part of his submissions. 

Okumu, in his Court documents, notes that the imposition of the VAT tax, will reverse the gains made in terms of environmental conservation, besides violating Kenyan’s rights to life, food, clean environment and dignity. 

 Okumu argues that key among the reasons for zero rating LPG, was to move Kenyan households towards clean energy and reduce pressure on tree cover from firewood and charcoal consumption. 

“The imposition of 16 per cent VAT will reverse the gains made in terms of environmental conservation,” he argued in his Court papers. 

The National Assembly passed the Finance Bill on June 23^rd, with President Uhuru Kenyatta approving key Bills affecting taxes including 16 per cent value added tax to the supply of LPG gas.