Opposition leader Raila Odinga may seem to be losing more allies following a decision by Nyali MP and close ally Mohammed Ali to defy a directive by the former Langata lawmaker to ODM MPs to support an eight percent levy on petroleum products.
According to Ali (Independent), Raila's decision to tell ODM MPs to rally behind President Uhuru Kenyatta in levying the tax amounts to destroying the lives of Kenyans who are already overburdened by high taxes.
The MP was speaking in Nairobi at Parliament buildings on Tuesday alongside other MPs elected on independent tickets.
Raila, ahead of the 2017 polls was so close to Ali that the two were occasionally seen together in Nairobi and Mombasa. Ali had wanted to vie for the MP seat on an ODM party ticket but was defeated by Governor Hassan Joho's brother Said Abdallah.
"I want to talk about the Jubilee meeting that was in State House this morning and that of ODM at Orange House. ODM and Jubilee are now in bed and agreeing on levying eight percent on petroleum products amount to killing Kenyans," Ali said.
"My stand on the current VAT on fuel products debate is that we will continue standing and speaking for the common already oppressed Mwananchi. Zero VAT is our stand."
Raila and Uhuru met MPs elected on their respective parties on Tuesday and instructed them to support the tax levy.
The new tax had recently been suspended by MPs for two years but Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich defied Parliament and went ahead to implement it.
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