Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has dismissed viral reports circulating on social media and mainstream outlets claiming that the government has introduced the Finance Bill 2025, which includes additional taxes on the public.
According to the reports, tax experts have expressed concerns over the government's plan to finance the proposed Ksh4.26 trillion budget for the 2025/26 financial year, which is significantly higher than the current Ksh3.6 trillion budget, largely through tax revenues from Kenyans.
Economists and the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) had warned that the proposed budget, currently under consideration in Parliament, will exacerbate the divide between rising taxes, stagnant wages, and the neglect of critical sectors like agriculture. The PBO cautioned that the budget will leave vulnerable families with even less hope for a better future.
Speaking at the launch of the Electronic Government Procurement system in Nairobi, Mbadi rejected the claims that the government had approved the Finance Bill 2025, which had dominated discussions on social media, particularly on X, throughout Monday morning.
The CS insisted that the government had not completed the budgeting process and that the Treasury was still in the process of looking at the proposals from various stakeholders. This, he said, invalidated the claims that there were official plans to tax Kenyans more.
''I do not like negatively responding to the media because they help keep us in check. I want to state that we have not concluded the budget process, and I want to inform you that we are looking at the proposals from various sectors as we speak,'' Mbadi stated.
''I do not know where you are getting the information you are sending out there from. I have to sign the proposal before it can reach the Parliament. I want to confirm that I have not done that.''
Mbadi urged the media to verify facts before reporting, assuring that the Treasury remains open to providing accurate information.
He also announced that once the budget verification process is complete, his office will publish an explainer on the budget's contents through local media.
''If you have any concerns, come to us for clarification. We have nothing to hide, and I am here to explain everything transparently," Mbadi said.
He added, ''Once the process is complete, we will release a detailed explainer on the budget. We cannot spend what we do not have.''
The government projects an optimistic 5.3 per cent economic growth in 2025, up from 4.5 per cent in 2024, driven by sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and industry, according to data from Treasury.
