MP threatens tax boycott due to wastage of public funds by Jubilee

Man stressed about tax (Photo Courtesy)

An MP has threatened to rally Kenyans to boycott paying taxes the national government's failure to account for billions of taxpayers’ money.

Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch said it is disheartening to see that Jubilee government cannot account for over Sh40 billion.

Auditor General Edward Ouko’s 2015/16 financial year report has unearthed how President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration blew Sh40.2 billion, which cannot be unaccounted for.

Mr Oluoch said in Mombasa on Thursday that the Jubilee government has failed to account for the billions of shillings that Kenyans remit as taxes every year and argued that there should be a public boycott in paying taxes to stop wastage of resources in Government.

“We want to put the Jubilee government on notice. If you cannot account for the public funds, then we shall stop paying taxes,” said Oluoch.

He issued the threat while addressing residents of Likoni constituency at the Likoni primary school in Mombasa County. He was accompanied by local MP Mishi Mboko.

Oluoch said in other developed economies like the United States, government is held accountable for any slight mistakes, which should be applied back here in Kenya.

Ms Mboko said an investigation should immediately be launched to arrest those behind the loss of the Sh40 billion at the National Treasury.

“We are asking the Government; if they are honest about this issue, to immediately launch an investigation. We want to see heads rolling, and those found culpable charged,” Ms Mboko said.

The threats came two days after the Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich told the Senate Finance Committee that the Government was broke.

Mr Rotich had petitioned Parliament to reduce the county allocation by over Sh18 billion leading to protests from governors.