An uncomfortable seat on the terrace was the least of Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury John Mbadi’s concerns during his first visit to Bunge La Mwananchi, alongside the chair of the Kenya Revenue Authority board.
Mbadi, who has been vocal about government spending, faced criticism for the ongoing deductions from payslips.
“We are not increasing VAT at all. In fact, this year’s finance bill may not include any upward tax adjustments. We cannot impose more taxes on Kenyans; we have reached a point where we must say there is no more room for taxation on employment income,” Mbadi stated.
Members of the public pressed the Cabinet Secretary on government spending, particularly regarding renovations at State House, questioning the government’s priorities in light of its own austerity measures.
“Tumerenovate, so what you need to tell me is don’t spend any more money on renovation isn’t it? Ju hiyo nyumba ukona saizi ni mzuri imekuwa renovated imechukua ile pesa imechukua,” Mbadi responded.
He also faced backlash for using helicopters to travel to his rural home.
“I have taken a chopper on three occasions for government events, including a trip to Tana River. I left Nairobi after a meeting at State House to go to Tana River and back; I’m not sure I could have made it by car,” he explained.
“After that, I had another event in Kisumu. So, let me ask you, when I finish that and want to go home, does the chopper just drop me off on the road and return to Nairobi, leaving me to walk home?”
As the Cabinet Secretary faced increasing scrutiny from the public, he adopted a more conciliatory approach to reassure the skeptical audience that positive changes were on the horizon due to the government’s initiatives. He aimed to justify the deductions, which included the contentious social health insurance fund and the housing levy.
“SHA is an insurance, and insurance doesn’t imply that paying for health means you will inevitably get sick,” Mbadi explained.
