Religious leaders have added their voice in the ongoing debate on fuel levy, and supported President Uhuru Kenyatta’s proposal to reduce vat from 16% to 8% urging MPs to support it too.
Members of the clergy argued that though the percentage still seems high, the country needs to develop.
Parliament is expected to discuss the 8% VAT proposal in a special sitting on Tuesday this week. The discussion has put MPs in a dilemma on whether to stand with Kenyans and push no tax on petroleum products or back the President’s position. Some claim that the proposal will not offer a permanent solution but instead it appears as a postponed problem. Kenyans seem to be against the 8% VAT proposal.
A section of MPs have rubbished Kenyatta’s proposal to half the Fuel VAT to 8% and are in support of no VAT. According to the law, in order for the proposal to be rejected, 233 MPs have to vote against it, this will have more weight and its rejection will mean that the proposal will be overruled hopefully until 2020. In an instance where less than 233 MPs vote against it,then the proposal will be upheld.
Having the majority of MPs in the House representing the Jubilee party, the public will have to wait and see which side this numerical strength will take.