Treasury, MPs walk tight rope on a Sh800 billion debt hole

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi (C) with Majority Leader Aden Duale (2nd R), Budget Committee Chairman Kimani Ichung'wa (R) and Finance Committee Chairman Joseph Limo(L) chat with Treasury CS. Henry Rotich (2nd L) after their meeting on the controversial finance bill at Parliament on Thursday 06/09/18 [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich today meets Members of Parliament on the second of a series of crisis talks to explore options for financing more than Sh800 billion in public debt repayments due this year.

This comes on the back of mounting opposition against a 16 per cent Value Added Tax, (VAT) slapped on petroleum products introduced this month that has increased the cost of basic commodities and threatened to exert inflationary pressures on low-income Kenyans.