Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen has finally broken his silence on the raging debate over the introduction of 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on all petroleum products.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said the fuel levy would be introduced despite the National Parliament passing a resolution to suspend it for two years.
Responding to a tweet by his Nairobi counterpart Johnstone Sakaja, the Senate Leader of Majority said President Uhuru Kenyatta should come to the rescue of Kenyans.
He, however, reminded Sakaja of the warning he gave him when he was defending locals in Mau forest who were facing evictions.
"I agree with you, Hon. Sakaja on this. But remember you issued a statement publicly when I visited the people of MAU against this approach. In your own words you warned me against “inciting Kenyans against Uhuru’s initiatives” coz it is “...disingenuous, underhand&disrespectful,” replied Murkomen.
Sakaja had tweeted that, "Dear @UKenyatta kindly assent to the Amendment exempting fuel from VAT. #PunguzaBeiYaMafuta the gain in tax revenue is much less than the goodwill of Kenyans in the fight against corruption (where we are losing much more). If anything, we should entirely do away with VAT on fuel."
The two would later engage each other over the matter on several tweets.
Below are the tweets between the two Senators;
[Source/Joe Khisa]
[Source/Joe Khisa]
[Source/Joe Khisa]
[Source/Joe Khisa]
Murkomen, however, said there was no cause of alarm over the increase in fuel prices expressing optimism that President Kenyatta would sign an amendment to suspend fuel levy by two years.
[Source/Joe Khisa]
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