Finance Bill 2025 and the urgent need for moral audit of our economy

The National Treasury building in Nairobi. [File, Standard]

In many ways, 2025 is shaping up to be a historic turning point. Just weeks ago, the IMF signalled the dawn of a new global economic order-one that will replace frameworks that have governed global finance for nearly 80 years. The Catholic Church is now led by its first US pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. His chosen name is no coincidence: Pope Leo XIII, his namesake, was renowned for his concern about the rights and welfare of workers during the Industrial Revolution. Now, Pope Leo XIV has warned that artificial intelligence (AI) presents serious threats to human dignity, justice, and labour.

These seismic shifts underscore the urgent need for a moral audit of our economic architecture. The question before us is: Can our financial system still defend the values of fairness, dignity, and shared prosperity in an age of AI, debt, and digital capitalism?