Treasury Mulls VAT on Milk, Bread, in Fresh Revenue Push: Puzzle of Death Sentence in Kenya and What it Means for Jowie & Why AU Meeting Will Make or Break Raila Odinga’s Bid for Seat

Good morning,

It is on a lovely Thursday morning and the decision surrounding Joseph Irungu alias Jowie’s death sentence continues to elicit sharp reactions.

Jowie was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of the 2018 murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani.Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, High Court judge Grace Nzioka ruled that the horrific murder of Monica Kimani was “intentional” planned and not out of provocation.

In her verdict, Justice Nzioka also indicated that the court had also established that Jowie, who underwent tactical military training in Dubai, was indeed violent.

However, her ruling to sentence Jowie to death sparked reactions from Kenyans, with a section of them sympathizing with Irungu. The sentence means that Jowie will spend the rest of his life in prison as long as he is alive.

Do you think Jowie deserved the sentence? Should he appeal against the sentence in the court of Appeal?

Here is the news making headline on Opera News App today:

Treasury Mulls VAT on Milk, Bread, in Fresh Revenue Push

The Treasury is considering introducing a 16 percent value-added tax (VAT) on bread and milk in a fresh push to boost revenue collections from middle-class households.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung’u said that studies by government agencies had shown that the current structure where VAT on bread and milk is zero-rated had failed to cushion the targeted poor households and instead benefited the middle class who have relatively high income.

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EXPLAINER: Puzzle of Death Sentence in Kenya and What it Means for Jowie

Jowie Irungu, before Justice Grace Nzioka during the sentencing after he was found guilty of the murder of businesswoman Monica Kimani, at Milimani Law Courts on March 13, 2024./DOUGLAS OKIDDY

While delivering the verdict, Justice Grace Nzioka said that Jowie Irungu ‘shall suffer death as provided for the offence of murder under Section 204 of the Penal Code of Kenya’.

The judge noted that there were only three options in sentencing Irungu which included a term of years, life imprisonment or death.

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Why AU Meeting Will Make or Break Raila Odinga’s Bid for Seat

What you need to know: The African Union Executive Council will tomorrow (Friday) hold a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, that will make or break Raila Odinga’s candidacy for chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC).

The Executive Council, composed of foreign affairs ministers of member states, is expected to review a set of proposals advanced by the AU’s legal counsel and deliberate on preparations for the election of senior leadership of the AUC expected to take place in February next year.

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