Kenyans' Tax Burden And Why President Ruto Wants Them To Pay More

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This is because President William Ruto is trying to convince them that they should hand over more of their hard-earned cash, saying that, if anything, they are under-taxed.

He recently argued that Kenyans have "been socialised to believe they pay the highest taxes" when in fact, he added, the overall tax burden was lower compared to some other countries in Africa and beyond.

"We must be able to enhance our taxes,⁘ he said, but acknowledged that it was "going to be difficult".

Since he was elected president in August 2022, Mr Ruto's government has raised a host of taxes while also introducing new ones.

Taxes on salaries have gone up, the sales tax on fuel has doubled and people are also paying a new housing levy and are due to pay more for health insurance.

Mr Ruto's message is that if people want better public services and a reduction in the country's debt burden then they have to pay up.

Today, ordinary conversations are often dominated by the pain of taxation, and the president's view has exasperated Kenyans who already feel overburdened.

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