Friday, June 2, 2023 – President William Ruto’s bid to overtax Kenyans through Finance Bill 2023 has suffered a huge blow after Busia County Senator, Okiya Omtatah, moved to court to challenge the controversial bill.
Finance Bill 2023 is a government-sponsored bill that has proposed a raft of new taxes to be imposed on Kenyans in the financial year 2023/2024.
In his petition, Omtatah argued that the bill is unconstitutional because the Executive, which includes the president, doesn’t have the power to enforce taxes on Kenyans.
According to him, the people are the ones who have given power to the executive and the only way more taxes can be introduced is through parliamentary legislation.
“Petition 1831 of 2023 is a petition filed in the public interest. The power to enforce taxes is not absolute. It is a donated power by the people who donate to the executive and they reposit not to the executive but to parliament.
“That is why when you look at article 209, it is clearly stated that taxation can only be done as provided by legislation,” Omtatah said.
This is a big blow to Ruto and his men since they have been chest-thumping that the Finance Bill 2023 will pass whether Kenyans want it or not.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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