Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has defended his opposition of President Uhuru Kenyatta's proposal on the additional tax on fuel prices.
Speaking in parliament after opposing the bill on Thursday, Owino remained unapologetic despite defying opposition leader and his party chief Raila Odinga, who was in support of the proposal.
He noted that as much as he respects the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party boss, he had to take an independent position and intervene in salvaging Kenyans from the new tax.
"Namheshimu Raila kama kiongozi wangu lakini imebidi nichukue msimamo wangu (I respect Raila, but I also have to make my own independent decisions)," said the youthful lawmaker.
"Siwezi kosa kufuata matakwa ya wananchi maskini ili kumfurahisha mtu mmoja (I cannot defy the needs of poor Kenyans to impress any single person)," he added.
He condemned the new tax imposed on Kenyans, urging the government to instead cut down on some of its expenditures and projects to raise the needed funds.
Owino proposed the reduction of the national projects in the Jubilee Government's iconic Big 4 agenda to two, stressing on the need for the nation to implement the remaining plans in the future.
"Tupunguze hii Big-4 agenda maana hatuwezi endelea kuwaumiza wakenya na ushuru zaidi (there is need to reduce the project to fewer initiatives to avoid imposing more taxes on the overburdened Kenyans)," he appealed.
The special sitting was convened to look into the matter after Uhuru rejected an earlier parliamentary proposal seeking to expel the initial 18 per cent increment completely.
Raila on Tuesday presided over a meeting attended by the ODM parliamentarians, where he made attempts to convince them into supporting the proposal.
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