A 70-year-old man from Baringo county has joined the contentious debate on the proposed Finance Bill 2024 by demanding printed copies of the 135-page document be distributed freely to Kenyans.
Mzee Michael Rono from Kituro village, Baringo Central Sub-county stated that the current high cost of living makes majority of Kenyans not to acquire the crucial document that goes for Sh1, 350 per copy at the Government Printer for anyone who wants to print for themselves.
Mzee Rono who made the plea when he visited Baringo County Information office in Kabarnet Town on Thursday lamented that the crucial Bill is being owned by politicians, while ordinary citizens who shoulder the huge burden of the tax have no copies.
“We are told that the one can get the Bill through the internet but for now majority Kenyans in rural areas do not own smartphones, hence they cannot access the online copy. Some villages do not even have electricity and internet connectivity, how do you expect the rural folk to get the online copy?” he posed.
Mzee Rono said the document should be availed freely to all citizens for them to read and scrutinize it in order to enable them make informed decisions, while giving out their views during ongoing countrywide public participation forums, on areas of the document to be amended.
“My life now as a retiree is hanging in the balance because the new tax proposals we are hearing through the media are complicated for us. We want a clear direction so that we will be able to gauge ourselves in our spending on development activities like farming,” he said.
The retiree wonders why the booklets containing the proposed bill have not been dispatched to grassroots through various public offices for easy access by ordinary people.
He recommended for the bill to be put strategically at least in all National Government administrative offices including those of Chiefs, libraries plus information offices for them to scrutinise.
By Benson Kelio and Joshua Kibet
