Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has expressed reservations over what is seen as a renewed fight against tax evaders.
This is after the arrest of Keroche Breweries directors Tabitha Karanja and her husband Joseph Karanja over an alleged Sh14 billion tax evasion.
Billionaire Humphrey Kariuki has already been charged with Sh41 billion tax evasion.
According to Owino, arrest and prosecution of the alleged tax evaders may lead to the closure of their businesses.
"When you shut down these big taxpayers, who will pay tax next year? Where will the Government get the resources it needs to offer services to the public? What will happen to the thousands who were employed by these companies? Who will feed their families? We are destroying lives without thinking about the consequences of our actions!" Babu Owino the MP said in part of a statement he shared on Facebook, Thursday.
The MP now wants President Uhuru Kenyatta to reign in on the government agencies involved in the fight against those alleged to have evaded paying tax.
He wants the agencies to pursue dialogue with the business regarding the tax issues.
"Government must first talk to business before pursuing such extreme measures as arrest and arraignment. Otherwise, business owners will seek out more friendly and stable environments in which to operate such as Uganda or Tanzania," Owino noted.