Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has for the first time opened up on the brutality meted on him over his unrelenting opposition and decision to challenge the Finance Act, 2023 at the courts.
Speaking during the Okoa Uchumi Forum, Omtatah revealed that he is currently living with ten fake teeth after the real ones were knocked out for allegedly refusing to accept a Ksh9 million bribe.
"The teeth I have right now are fake, 10 of them were knocked out because I refused a bribe of Ksh9 million", the senator told the audience during the forum.
He went on to reveal that his skull was broken twice, but despite that, he remains loyal to the Constitution of Kenya and will always oppose unconstitutional laws and imposed taxes.
"My skull has been broken twice but the issue is that we must remain faithful. If I had taken the Ksh200 million that was given to me through some civil society activist, I wouldn't have gotten the achievement I got".
The political activist revealed that his next plan is to go to the Supreme Court and oppose the government's decision to appeal the Court of Appeal's judgment that declared the Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional.
" We are going to the Supreme Court of Kenya where the Government has appealed the decision of the Court of Appeal's judgment that declared the Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional", Omtatah assured Kenyans.
On 20 August 2024, the Supreme Court of Kenya (Supreme Court) issued conservatory orders suspending the judgment delivered by the Court of Appeal on 31 July 2024, which declared the Finance Act, 2023 (the Act) unconstitutional.
"The Supreme Court of Kenya has granted conservatory orders, staying the implementation of the Court of Appeal's judgment that declared the Finance Act, 2023 unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court ruled that public interest tilted in favor of granting the conservatory orders at a time when the government was in a frantic race against time to finance its budget.
Currently, taxpayers continue applying the provisions of the Act until the Court rules on the consolidated appeal, with the case set to be heard on September 10, 2024 and September 11, 2024.
The Kenya Kwanza administration reverted to relying on the Finance Act, 2023 after President William Ruto was forced to shelve the Finance Bill, 2024 after widespread protests that culminated in Kenyan youth storming Parliament.
