President William Ruto has faced another setback as the Court of Appeal declared the Finance Bill 2023 unconstitutional.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
A three-judge bench delivered the verdict on Tuesday, July 31. The 120-page judgment concluded that the enactment process of the Finance Act, 2023, was fundamentally flawed and violated several constitutional provisions.
The court found that the legislative process lacked sufficient opportunities for public input, violating constitutional mandates.
The court noted that the Senate, a key legislative body, was improperly excluded from the process, violating the bicameral nature of the Kenyan Parliament, which is intended to ensure thorough scrutiny and representation in law-making.
It was also discovered that some parts of the Act were introduced after Kenyans participated in public consultations, thus bypassing the appropriate legislative processes.
Kenyans took to social media to react to the announcement, with some questioning if the government will reimburse the money that they paid as tax.
Ptah toxic:”Will they refund our money?”
Richard Miruka: “Will this Government refund all the deductions taken from us?”
Kim: “Does it mean the government will have to go back to the 2021 Finance Act to collect Taxes?”
Bojak: “What next?”
Ja Suba: “Okiya for president.”
Erastus: “They should refund what we paid on housing levy.”
Ousa Cbuor: “Housing levy to be refunded.”
This comes after the head of state declined to assent the Finance Bill 2024.’
Addressing the nation on Wednesday, June 26, Ruto said he had conceded to Kenyans’ concerns.
The president said he took the bold step of declining the Bill because Kenyans insisted on making more concessions than what MPs proposed.
The National Assembly Finance Committee presented its recommendation on the Finance Bill 2024, which saw six controversial tax proposals lifted…CONTINUE READING>>
