The Revolutionary Socialist League would like to join fellow Kenyans on this day in rejecting the proposed Finance Bill 2023, due to be discussed by the National Assembly under the influence of the Executive arm of government, led by President William Ruto.
The Revolutionary Socialist League would further like to express its solidarity with all the people of Kenya on this day, the 6th of June 2023, as we march to the National Assembly and the Office of the President to voice our opposition to the proposed Finance Bill 2023. We would also like to offer our complements to all other organizations which have been part of the planning for this important mass action, including the Social Justice Movement, Kenya Human Rights Commission, PAWA 254, National Students Caucus among other organizations.
The proposed Finance Bill 2023 is, without a doubt, punitive as far as the Kenyan people are concerned, and counterproductive as far as national development is concerned. The proposed bill, in a bid to raise revenue for the national government, proposes an increase in taxes imposed on numerous basic commodities, such as food, fuel, cooking oil, cosmetics, to mention just a few. By increasing taxes on food, the government would be condemning the already oppressed and exploited population of Kenya into further hunger, poverty and destitution. By increasing taxes on fuel, the government would be directly contributing to an increase in the cost of living for Kenyans, who are already dealing with an extremely high inflation rate. By imposing a high turnover tax for small scale businesses, the government would be stifling the growth and development of the informal sector, which serves as an employer to a huge section of the population of Kenya, particularly the youth. Most importantly, by pushing to impose a heavy taxation system for the sole purpose of borrowing more from International Financial institutions, the government risks sinking the country into a debt crisis from which we may never fully recover.
Fellow Kenyans, it hereby goes without saying that we have no choice but to stand up and reject the proposed Finance Bill 2023.
By rejecting this proposed Bill, we shall be furthering the struggle for the attainment of equal social, economic and political opportunities and rights for all citizens. By rejecting this proposed Bill, we shall be committing ourselves to working towards the fair and equitable distribution of wealth and resources within our society, with the end goal of attaining acceptable standards of living and human dignity.
As we petition the Office of the President and the National Assembly, we remind ourselves of the appalling situation we are in as regards our socio-economic life. Kenya continues to be a food insecure country, having more than 35% of Kenyans suffering from food insecurity and malnutrition each year, with 2.6 million facing a food insecurity crisis.
In February 2022, the Kenya Food Security Steering Group’s annual Short Rains Assessment reported that there are around 3.1 million food-insecure people in pastoral and marginal agricultural areas, a 48% increase since August 2021. The situation has continued to worsen as the year 2023 began. As we speak, Kenya has endured its worst drought in 40 years, according to the government and the UN. More than 4 million people are food insecure, and 3.3 million cannot get enough water to drink. Kenya ranks 86 out of 117 countries on the 2019 Global Hunger Index.
Within our informal settlements and urban dwellings, the negativities of inequality continue to be felt. According to research by the African Population and Health Research Centre, 80% of slum residents are food insecure, which partly explains the high malnutrition rates of close to 50% among children. Slum residents account for more than 60% of Nairobi’s population. Further, more than 13 million Kenyans suffer from chronic food and nutrition insecurity, according to SOFI, a publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization. One quarter of the children in Kenya are stunted.
Further, we have witnessed a massive loss of jobs among our population and a terrible economic crisis due to state mismanagement and corruption. We have witnessed state demolitions carried out against the people. We are faced with an acute water shortage. Cases of police killings and brutality are on the increase. Majority of Kenyans cannot access proper medical services. Rent is unaffordable.
The gap between the richest and poorest has reached extreme levels in Kenya. Less than 0.1% of the population (8,300 people) own more wealth than the bottom 99.9% (more than 48 million people). The richest 10% of people in Kenya earned on average 23 times more than the poorest 10%.
By blatantly ignoring this state of affairs, and by proposing to further increase the cost of living for Kenyans through more taxation, the government clearly shows its lack of concern for the plight of its citizens.
In this regard, we call upon the patriotic citizens of Kenya to rise up and demand to live a dignified life!
We call upon the patriotic citizens of Kenya to join the push for equality, freedom and social justice!
On this Sita Sita People’s March, we call upon the patriotic citizens of Kenya to reject the Finance Bill 2023!
THE PEOPLE, UNITED, SHALL NEVER BE DEFEATED!