Ruto says wealthy Kenyans sponsoring Azimio protests to avoid paying taxes
President William Ruto now claims ongoing protests from the opposition are sponsored by wealthy Kenyans keen to evade paying tax.
President Ruto on Monday said every citizen must honour their tax obligations, adding that Kenya is not an animal farm where some animals are more equal than others.
“Even if they sponsor demonstrations so that they do not pay tax, I want to promise them that they will pay tax, there are no more exemptions," the Head of State said.
“This country is not the animal farm where some are more equal than others, we are going to have a society where every citizen carries their fair share of our burden to raise our taxes.”
The Head of State was speaking in Mombasa, where he presided over the National Assembly's Post-Election Seminar 2023 in collaboration with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Without mentioning names, Ruto said some Kenyans holding high offices have been exempting themselves from paying taxes "using all manner of instruments", burdening the common mwananchi.
“I’m not talking about additional taxes, I’m talking about taxes that have been agreed upon by parliament and signed into law,” he added.
Pres. @WilliamsRuto: "Every citizen must pay tax. Even if they sponsor demonstrations so that they don't pay tax, I want to promise them that they must pay tax. This country is not the animal farm where some are more equal than others." pic.twitter.com/EFSAZt0H3P— Hussein Mohamed, MBS. (@HusseinMohamedg) January 30, 2023
Ruto has been critical of the rallies organised by the Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga, arguing that the opposition chief is up to no good.
Yesterday, Raila held a major rally at Jakaranda Grounds in Embakasi East where he accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of overburdening Kenyans with taxes.
Raila while likening Ruto's administration to the biblical tax collector Zacchaeus called on Kenyans to resist paying taxes terming them as “punitive”.
“We ask that all Kenyans demand the removal of these punitive taxes. There will be no taxation without representation,” Raila said.
Terming the Ruto administration illegitimate, Raila announced a series of rallies to protest against the Kenya Kwanza government, which he claims stole his victory in the last presidential election.
The coalition is expected to hold a rally at Kibra and Machakos town in the coming weeks before heading to other parts of the country including Nakuru, Kakamega, Kiambu, Isiolo, Kisii Kisumu, Mombasa, Garissa, and Turkana counties before holding another mega rally in Nairobi.
