Public Service Trade Unions Vow To Stage Nationwide Strike

Trade unions in the public sector have threatened to mobilize Kenyans to oppose the Finance Bill 2023.

Unions from fifteen groups have petitioned Parliament to reject the plan, which they claim will be detrimental to the financial survival of overtaxed workers if implemented.

Before their match on Monday, the unions gathered at the University of Nairobi's graduation square to present a four-page petition to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula.

They asked MPs to support the public's position on the divisive bill. Several opposition MPs have already signed on to their petition.

The housing levy has received opposition from the azimio la Umoja coalition, with members wanting kenyans to vote on the bill.

The proposed payment has sparked outrage among the general public and opposition as the government attempts to justify why the fee should be mandatory.

Sifuna remarked on Thursday on Citizen TV's Daybreak show that the administration has been making decisions in complete ignorance and has yet to make any attempt to consult the public on how they may best produce money without aggravating the cost of living.

"You are not listening to the hustler, professionals, civil society, or us as people's representatives; you are locked up in this State House where you just sing hosanna from morning to evening and impose these things without listening to anyone; you just dismiss all of us," he said.

"We don't look for jobs to pay taxes; we look for jobs to improve our financial situation so that we can lift our families out of poverty and feed our children."

Sifuna further claimed that the Kenya Kwanza administration's recent tax increases show that they would instead engage the public in meaningful dialogue.