President William Ruto of Kenya addresses a press conference following demonstrations against the country's proposed financial bill 2024–2025. Ruto promised government expenditure cuts.
Kenya's government intends to reintroduce tax measures to parliament in an attempt to raise an additional 150 billion shillings ($1.2 billion), according to a report by Citizen TV that quoted the finance minister. The law was removed in June following deadly protests.
Finance Minister John Mbadi states that the proposed tax plans include an eco-levy on most commodities. He added that sensitive products, such as sanitary pads, would be exempt from the levy. The minister told the station that the government's increasing spending needs led to the decision to bring back some of the measures.
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On August 18, 2024, Treasury CS John Mbadi announced that several provisions from the dismissed Finance Bill 2024 might be reintroduced.
"Initially, 53 amendments were suggested, but after review, we have trimmed them down to 49," stated Mbadi. "The Eco Levy will target products that contribute to environmental pollution, but we will exclude items that have sparked significant debate, such as sanitary pads," he added.
