Government has the right to raise taxes and make Kenyans suffer – CS MOSES KURIA says

 Wednesday, June 12, 2024 - Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has defended the government against criticism over the Finance Bill 2024 which proposes a raft of tax proposals.

In an interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday, Kuria said the government has the right to impose taxes to fund its budget.

“It is the legitimate right of any government, in Kenya or anywhere in the world, to raise taxes. There is no other source of money for a government to run other than raising taxes,” Kuria said.

The CS argued that a government is constitutionally obligated to increase taxes or borrow from other governments if its current revenue sources are insufficient.

“When we borrow, we borrow for one reason; because we can’t raise enough taxes. The only legitimate, bonafide source of money for running the government is by raising taxes,” he said.

The Finance Bill 2024 has elicited massive reactions among Kenyans with several institutions and corporate bodies expressing reservation against some of its proposals.