President William Ruto explained the rationale behind the additional tax measures proposed in this year’s Finance Bill, emphasizing the necessity of these measures to finance critical national priorities. The proposed taxes aimed to raise funds for employing all 46,000 Junior Secondary School (JSS) interns on a permanent basis, increasing the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) by Ksh 10 billion, and boosting the allocation to county governments by Ksh 15 billion.
Moreover, the funds were to support key initiatives such as rural electrification with an allocation of Ksh 14.5 billion, an additional Ksh 6 billion for Universal Health Coverage (UHC), paying debts owed to coffee and sugarcane farmers, and Ksh 2 billion to stabilize milk prices. These measures are part of the government’s broader strategy to enhance economic stability, improve public services, and support agricultural sectors crucial to Kenya’s economy.
