Baringo Senator Gideon Moi has differed sharply with President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury Henry Rotich over the 16% VAT on petroleum.
Rotich went against the wishes of Kenyans and MPs to suspend the taxation and ordered agencies involved to ensure implementation from September 1.
Moi said the implementation is akin to condemning Kenyans into the deeper trenches of poverty.
"The decision by the government to effect 16% tax on petroleum products has been received with a lot of concern by Kenyans who feel this will push the cost of living higher in an already harsh economic climate," Moi said.
Moi warned that the implementation will have worse repercussions such as loss of jobs as well as high cost of living.
"This will make life difficult for Kenyans and especially the ordinary mwananchi who should be cushioned and not condemned to misery by Government policies," Moi added.
Moi told Uhuru and Rotich to find other ways of raising revenue such as fighting corruption instead of burdening Kenyans who are already struggling with hard times.
"It is thus prudent for the government and all other relevant agencies to come together and explore other ways of raising revenue other than implementing the rise in tax on petroleum products which has the overall net effect of condemning a majority of Kenyans into poverty," he said.
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