A group of religious leaders from the North Rift region is now urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and suspend the impending 16 per cent extra taxation on fuel.
Led by the Friends Churches of Kenya National director John Muhanji and the regional Secretary General Jethro Lusimba, the leaders say the introduction of more tax on fuel will add more burden to Kenyans.
They now want the government to ignore an advice from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over taxation and instead side with Kenyans.
“We ask the Head of State to stand with Kenyans and stop this new tax law until further notice. We will not have a budget deficit as IMF says if we do not introduce this extra tax on fuel,” said Muhanji on Wednesday at Huruma Friends Church in Eldoret town during a one week General Conference that brought together delegates from various churches in the region.
The church leaders also challenged legislators at the National Parliament and the Senate to do everything within their powers to halt the implementation of the proposed 16 per cent tax on fuel.
Fuel prices and other basic commodities prices are set to rise beginning this September as the government implements the 16 per cent tax on fuel.
The new tax comes at the time IMF has been pushing the government to do away with tax exemption as part of austerity measures to increase revenue, reduce the budget deficit and slow down debts that have been piling up in recent months.
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