On 1st September the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich ordered the implementation of the 16 per cent VAT on fuel, a situation that brought an uproar among Kenyans.
The implemetation of the high taxes has led to fuel shortage causing traffic and long queues at filling stations across Nairobi which was witnessed on Wednesday as outlets stopped restocking petroleum products over speculation on the signing into law of the Finance Bill (2018) which seeks to further suspend a 16 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) for two years.
However President Uhuru Kenyatta has been given an ultimatum of 21 days since adoption of the Bill by the National Assembly to assent the law or return the Bill to the House with a memorandum outlining possible changes.
Here are some online reactions from the Kenyans
Weird thing about this #FuelShortage & people scrambling to get ⛽ I never heard Ben Githae’s ‘Tano Tena’ being blasted from any ? in ?. That song would have soothed many who queued for hours to get ⛽ just like it did when they queued a year ago to cast the ballot. Kinaeleweka
— Leon (@onyangoangolo) September 6, 2018
Wouldnt this be the right moment as a country to have a conversation on what really ails us as a Country?A reallly really deep conversation??#FuelShortage
— Pete Ochung’o MD (@PeteOchungo) September 6, 2018
I wonder how proud we are of ourselves as a country. The container may be middle income,but the contents are far from it!!#FuelShortage
— Pete Ochung’o MD (@PeteOchungo) September 6, 2018
#FuelShortage The time is now ripe for adulterated fuel in the Kenyan market. Stay Woke.
— Mike Murunga (@MikeMurunga) September 6, 2018
#FuelShortage Let the Distributors stand their ground …We can’t be funding individuals in expense of our moneys in the name of Tax
— Nelson Ogana (@N_Ogana) September 6, 2018
If government does nothing before Friday our safaris are done and will result to huge loses for most businesses. #FuelShortage #kenya
— Adventures of Mufasa (@mufasa_travels) September 5, 2018
It’s not only motorists feeling the pain, many Kenyans depending on posho mill services are crying, grinding 2kgs maize just hiked from 5/= to 20/= as per reports from western region among many places across the country. Eating ugali soon to be a luxury #FuelShortage pic.twitter.com/X5pGg9n6QS
— RETIRED COMRADE (@retired_comrade) September 5, 2018