Senate wants Kiambu County levies suspended pending investigation

What you need to know:

  • “The governor has ignored public participation in determining how much traders should part with to obtain business licences. The unregulated taxes are eating into their profits,” he said.
  • He said Governor William Kabogo should suspend the levies until the Senate, whose mandate is to protect the interests of counties, advises on the way forward.

The Senate wants the Kiambu County government to put the enforcement of controversial taxes on hold pending investigations into the legality of the levies.

This follows a statement sought in the House by Senator Kimani Wamatangi who also wants the Finance and Devolved Government committees to come up with legislation that would put to an end the arbitrary increase of levies by counties.

The Finance Committee chairman Billow Kerrow (Mandera, URP) told the Senate the committee would visit the county tomorrow to investigate the matter.

He said Governor William Kabogo should suspend the levies until the Senate, whose mandate is to protect the interests of counties, advises on the way forward.

Mr Kerrow said the committee would interrogate the legality of the legislation that has allowed the county to come up with the current taxes many traders and consumers find onerous.
Mr Wamatangi (Kiambu, TNA) observed that some governors were raising revenue for the counties without taking into account the country’s economic situation.

UNREGULATED TAXES

“The governor has ignored public participation in determining how much traders should part with to obtain business licences. The unregulated taxes are eating into their profits,” he said.

Senators Boni Khalwale (Kakamega, UDF) and Hassan Omar Hassan (Mombasa, Wiper) sought to know why a resolution to stop funding to counties whose governors declined to appear before the Senate County Public Accounts and Investment Committee was not honoured.

Mr Kabogo is among governors who last year declined to appear before the oversight committee chaired by Dr Khalwale to respond to audit queries raised by the Auditor General.
quarters are in black and white, counties that are charging revenue even from chicken risk a rebellion once those being pushed too far find that they can’t take it anymore,” said Dr Khalwale.