Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has urged Kenyans to put more pressure on their MPs during the impending discussions on the Finance Bill 2024.Reflecting on senators’ recent handling of the Division of Revenue Bill, Sifuna emphasized the necessity of popular pressure in convincing elected officials to act in the public interest.
“I was extremely encouraged by the way my colleagues from the Senate majority side dealt with the Division of Revenue Bill this time round. It demonstrates that public pressure works in pushing elected representatives to do the right thing,” Sifuna stated on his X account.
According to Sifuna, the Finance Bill 2024 is even more worrying than its predecessor, and he feels President William Ruto’s administration is discovering new methods to tax Kenyans.
The Nairobi Senator expressed trust in his Member of Parliament, Tim Wanyonyi, and encouraged Kenyans to interact with their MPs on the issue.
“I’m saying you must make life extremely unbearable for your MP now that we are in Budget Season. Ruto’s Finance Bill 2024 is significantly worse than the last one. He truly has depth, range, and creativity when it comes to ways of hurting Kenyans. So call your MP. I know Tim Wanyonyi will reject this bill. What about yours?” he added.
Sifuna’s appeal to action follows a similar plea from Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah, who asked Kenyans to actively participate in deliberations around the Finance Bill 2024.
Senator Omtatah, in a social media remark, emphasized the importance of public understanding and participation in legislative processes, as required by the Constitution.
Omtatah also emphasized the importance of active citizen participation in determining the country’s path.
The Finance Bill 2024 includes several proposals aimed at increasing revenue generation and tax compliance, such as amendments to motor vehicle tax, withholding tax on the supply of goods to public entities, and changes to the Data Protection Act to allow revenue authorities to access information for tax collection purposes.
