Stop misinforming people on social media about Finance Bill 2025

Gen Z protests were sparked by punitive taxes in the Finance Bill 2024. [File, Standard]

When Mark Twain remarked that "a lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on its shoes", he probably had moments such as these in his mind. Our governance, both processes and institutions are under serious assault as the citizens are inundated with half-truths and outright lies. The bulk of it is calculated to inflame anger and despondency in a manner that would make the populace unsettled. I say this with reference to the budgeting process. A year ago we almost lost our country when a lack of reading of the socio-economic and political climate, matched with the vigilance of the people birthed the now popular Gen Z protests which shook the foundations both of state and the political class.

The management of our public spending has not been one of the best this side of the tropics. Former Auditor General Edward Ouko once dismissed our budget-making process as budgeted corruption. He said this in reference to how the cost of doing projects would be massively inflated to include kickbacks for the fat cats in the corridors of power and the attendant tender barons. The result of what Mr Ouko was decrying manifests itself in a debt legacy that has in many ways upended our economic vitality and the runaway pending bills.