10 Governors from Central Kenya appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday over the recently imposed 16 percent fuel levy that has seen Kenyans feel the pain of hiked fares and rising costs of basic consumer goods.
The Governors under the Central Kenya Economic Bloc banner asked Uhuru to take action on the matter upon his return from China where he is attending the China-Africa Summit.
The group's chairman, Nyandarua Governor Francis Kimemia, stated that it was a paradox that fuel prices would increase a few years after Kenya struck oil in Turkana.
“We have heard cries from our people and we are pleading with the President to review the fuel tax when he comes back (from China) because it’s too high and I’m sure we share the same view with other blocs," he noted.
Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru, on the other hand, called on the Treasury to find alternative to finance the budget without hurting the taxpayers as much as the levy would.
“This particular policy is going to be very restrictive even for economic growth meaning we will be stuck in this cycle of never improving in getting out of poverty.
"The Treasury should go back to the drawing board and come up with another policy because in economics, there is always an alternative,” she stated.
Waiguru proposed that the government initiate a crackdown on tax evaders to begin with.
She further noted that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) should seal all tax collection loopholes.
President Kenyatta is left with two weeks to sign the Bill sponsored by Parliament Minority Leader Junet Mohammed that suspended the 16 per cent value added tax on petroleum products until 2020 after MPs voted on the amendments last Thursday.
