‘We can also go to the streets’ – CS Kuria f***s back after Azimio’s demo threats
Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has dismissed mass action threats from the opposition over the passing of the controversial Finance Bill 2023.
The bill sailed through the Third Reading on Wednesday night after two days of intense debate in the National Assembly.
With the passing of the Bill, the opposition's Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition has vowed to make good on its threats to return to the streets over what they term as punitive tax proposals in the Bill set to become law soon.
Reacting to the street demonstration threats on Thursday, Kuria, a former member of parliament for Gatundu South, slammed the coalition, warning that the Raila Odinga-led coalition does not have a monopoly for organising and staging protests in the country.
"They can demonstrate against the passing of Finance Bill 2023, no one has stopped them. We too will organise and demonstrate in its support," Kuria said.
"Do they think that they own the streets? We also have access to the same streets, and we will meet right there head-on."
Kuria defended proposals to increase taxes on various products including petroleum, saying it is the only way to solve the problems facing the country.
"Obviously, there will be some pain and sacrifices to be made, but as you are aware we are doing this at zero option since we inherited a lot of debt," Kuria explained.
Earlier, Azimio protested the move to pass the Finance Bill 2023 and invited Kenyans to a consultation at the Kamukunji Grounds on Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
While responding to questions from journalists, Azimio co-principal Martha Karua said they would chart the next course of action after holding the consultative rally at Kamukunji Grounds.
"Tuesday is the determinant. As we have said an institution called Parliament gets its mandate from the people. But the people retain the residual power. The Executive the Judiciary, everybody, every state officer gets mandate from the people. The people will meet at Kamukunji Grounds and they will roar back at Parliament and at the Executive," Karua said.
The National Assembly voted to pass over 70 per cent of the amendments in the Finance Bill 2023 on Wednesday night.
Among the key contentious issues in the Finance Bill include the housing levy, which was amended to 1.5 per cent of gross pay from the initial 3 per cent, and Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products which was doubled from 8 to 16 per cent.
