‘There Will Be Additional Tax Measures!’ – MP Kimani Kuria Hints Ahead Of The Finance Bill 2025
Kimani Kuria, the Chair of the National Assembly Finance Committee, made contradictory remarks, conceding the prospect of higher taxes in the coming fiscal year.
This comes only one day after Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi dismissed claims that the Finance Bill 2025 would include new levies.
The Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. FCPA John Mbadi Ng’ongo, EGH, today officially launched Kenya’s long-awaited e-Government Procurement (e-GP) system, marking a major step in the country’s digital transformation agenda.
— The National Treasury & Economic Planning (@KeTreasury) April 7, 2025
.Speaking during… pic.twitter.com/DAD8IfLIOr
Speaking to NTV on Tuesday, the Molo Member of Parliament (MP) emphasized that new taxes could be imposed to fund the proposed Ksh4.26 trillion budget for the fiscal year 2025/26.
According to MP Kuria, national expenditures are funded by three sources of revenue: taxation, appropriations aid, and donor financing.
To forecast budgets, the national treasury would need to assess the amount of revenue available from such sources in the final quarter of the fiscal year.
Kimani Kuria: Additional tax measures likely in Finance Bill 2025.
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) April 8, 2025
Kuria however says the solution lies in cutting expenditure on non-priority items in the budget. #FixingTheNationNTV@NationFmKE @EricLatiff @MariamBishar @OfficialJMbugua pic.twitter.com/6HZBiDENOw
“The question becomes, is that sufficient to finance the budget? If that is not sufficient, there will be additional tax measures to raise additional revenue to fund that budget,” he stated.
“But in the event that there is evidence to show that the already existing tax measures, the appropriation in aid raised, and the donor commitments we have are sufficient to finance the ceilings, then there will not be a need for a finance bill.”
In a nutshell, Kuria stated that the 2025/26 fiscal year budget will determine the necessity for a new finance bill, which has already caused a stir among Kenyans online.
Because a gap has already occurred this year and the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) shows a bigger budget, the MP recognized that extra taxes may be imposed.
“The discussions we have when the budget committee is conducting public participation on the budget, at the same time the finance committee is conducting public participation on the finance bill, the difference in the two meetings is like heaven and hell,” the Finance Committee chair stated.
“The budget committee discussions are about wanting additional money for roads, health, dams, including the state departments, etc. The finance committee discussions are about not adding any more taxes. How do you marry the two?”
If no adjustments are made to the authorized BPS, Kenyans will face higher taxes to pay next year’s budget, which includes a Ksh49.48 billion allocation to Parliament.
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On Monday, CS Mbadi clarified there was no proposal for a new tax bill and that reports claiming otherwise were inaccurate.
Electronic Government Procurement https://t.co/xREGQhOLXz
— The National Treasury & Economic Planning (@KeTreasury) April 7, 2025
“I do not like negatively responding to the media because they help keep us in check,” Mbadi stated.
“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.”
The CS added: “I do not know where you are getting the information you are sending out therefrom. I have to sign the proposal before it can reach the Parliament. I want to confirm that I have not done that.”
Last year’s rejected Finance Bill 2024 led to an increasingly charged public uproar, which culminated in the deadly Gen Z protests of June and July.
‘There Will Be Additional Tax Measures!’ – MP Kimani Kuria Hints Ahead Of The Finance Bill 2025
