President William Ruto’s government has come under intense pressure to revise proposed taxes and levies critics say will add the burden on Kenyan households and businesses already grappling with the high cost of living and doing business.
The proposals contained in the Finance Bill, 2023 — the first to be introduced in parliament by the new Kenyan administration — include doubling the VAT on fuel from the current 8.0 per cent to 16 percent, a heavier beauty tax on items like wigs and false beards and a 3.0 per cent housing levy on workers’ gross monthly salaries.
