Archbishop Sapit calls on Uhuru to harmonise tax

Anglican Church of Kenya's Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit (pictured) has urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene and help restore domestic trade in Busia and Malaba towns.

Sapit, who attended prayers at St John’s Cathedral in Katakwa on Sunday, said he was concerned about the plight of the residents.

He said it was regrettable that the residents of the border towns were shopping in Uganda at the expense of local businesses due to lower taxes charged on commodities.

The cleric urged Uhuru to meet his Ugandan counterpart, Yoweri Museveni, to harmonise taxes and save traders whose businesses were threatened.

Vincent Sidai, a local businessman, asked Archbishop Sapit to seek the intervention of the national government to find a lasting solution to the problem.

Mr Sidai said that if a solution was not forthcoming soon and businesses closed, there was a risk that the unemployed youth would resort to criminal activities.

The Senate Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations asked the Busia assembly to write a petition to the Senate seeking help on tax issue in border towns.