Nairobi — Parliamentary Service Commissioner (PSC) Johnson Muthama, has appealed to Kenyans to dismiss the civil disobedience campaign advocated by the Azimio coalition, which calls for tax boycotts.
Muthama in his plea emphasized that the payment of taxes is a “patriotic obligation” and described the calls as “regressive”.
Azimio Leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday urged Kenyans to withhold tax payments to the government as a form of protest against the Finance Bill signed by President William Ruto on the same day.
“Let’s give the government time to turn around the economy and this can only happen if all Kenyans play their role in building our country,” Muthama said.
The former Machakos Senator at the same time expressed concern that the revival of street demonstrations, as declared by Odinga, would be “detrimental to the future of our country”.
By signing the Bill, Odinga said the President had accordingly ignored pleas by Kenyans not to inflict more pain on the cost of living.
“Now you know that the only language Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza understands is street protests and boycotts,” he said at Kamukunji Wednesday on arrival from an overseas trip.
President Ruto signed into law the Finance Bill 2023 which raises taxes on a wide range of items thus defying criticism that it will pile more economic hardship on citizens.
