President William Ruto has called on all Kenyans to pay taxes irrespective of their status.
This appears to be a response to remarks by former First Lady Mama Ngina Kenyatta, who recently defended her family’s business empire against accusations of tax evasion by Ruto’s allies.
Speaking on Sunday, February 6, after a church service in Kasarani, Nairobi County, President Ruto said he was happy because “rich people have agreed to pay taxes”.
“The debt solution is to pay taxes so that we can run the government using our revenue and not on debt from people who will mess up our economy in the future,” the head of state said.
“I am very happy to hear rich people have agreed to pay taxes. That is very good news. That’s how we will proceed. We will no longer give tax waivers because you are powerful or connected, forget it. We will all pay our fair share of taxes,” Ruto said.
Speaking at St Teresa’s church in Mpeketoni on Saturday, February 4, the former First Lady said no Kenyan was to be exempted from paying taxes adding that the government has ways to handle those that do not pay tax.
“Naskia mengine inasemwa ati wengine hawatoi kodi, hawatoi nini, nashangaa kwa sababu kila mtu anaamka kusema hii na mwengine anasema hii, lakini serikali iko na laini yake ya vile mambo inaendeshwa,” Mama Ngina said.
“Mambo ya kodi, income tax ni lazima, mkubwa au mdogo, kulipa kulingana na uwezo wake na mapato yake. Hiyo si mambo ya kuzungumza katika magazeti, kwa mikutano, ama TV. Kwa sababu ukikosa kulipa kodi unapelekwa kortini, hiyo ndio sheria.”
“(I am surprised to hear some people say that others do not pay taxes. The government has its system of how to handle things. Paying taxes, whether income tax, or any other tax, is mandatory for everyone, big or small, to pay according to their ability and income. This is not a matter of discussion in newspapers, public rallies, or on TV. If you do not pay taxes, you go to court. That is the law,)” Mama Ngina said on Saturday.
In his recent visit to the Deliverance Church International, Ruto and his allies also defended the weekly Sunday gatherings from critics who claimed they are political events.
President Ruto emphasized that the gatherings are a way for him and his supporters to come together and pray.
The head of state also warned government agencies against instituting legal proceedings against the KRA.
He proposed that all government agencies work together to resolve their issues outside of court and to ensure that public money is not used to pay for legal fees.
The president has asked KRA to collect Sh500 billion by June 2023, an extra Sh1 trillion in 24 months and double the tax collection by 2027.
