Raila Odinga Calls for Civil Disobedience Against Tax Increases in Kenya.
Raila Odinga, Kenya’s opposition leader, rallied his supporters in Nairobi, urging nationwide civil disobedience to challenge recent tax hikes approved by parliament. Odinga, who finished second in the previous presidential election, also called for a revival of mass protests against President William Ruto’s government.
Addressing the crowd, Odinga emphasized the need to “punish the traitors” and repeal the finance bill, which was recently signed into law by President Ruto. The new legislation raises the value-added tax on fuel products from 8% to 16% and introduces a 1.5% housing levy on employees’ salaries, shared by both employers and employees, to fund affordable housing projects.
Through civil disobedience, Odinga aims to deny Ruto the taxes he believes are forced extortion. He encouraged public transport operators to increase vehicle capacity to offset higher operational costs and called on police officers to allow overloading. Odinga also proposed tax boycotts, such as carpooling to reduce fuel tax collection, and urged employers to disregard the controversial housing levy deductions.
President Ruto defended the new law, asserting that the housing fund’s objective is to provide affordable homes for low-income individuals and create employment opportunities. The standoff between Odinga’s opposition movement and the government over tax increases sets the stage for further political tensions in Kenya.
