Raila rejects Ruto's tax and NSSF plan

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has today Thursday, come out to oppose the proposal by President William Ruto to maximize tax collection and increase contribution rates by individual Kenyans towards the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).

Raila who spoke during a presser flanked by Azimio co-principals Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka and Hon. Martha Karua stated that the increment would be an additional burden to the ordinary citizen.

He said that taxpayers had been affected by the high cost of living due to inflated prices of basic commodities.

“We are particularly concerned about UDA’s plan to inflict more tax burdens on Kenyans and other pronouncements and promises made in recent days that are unrealistic,” Raila stated.

“Kenyans cannot afford and should not be asked to pay extra taxes for the UDA regime to realize their outlandish and unrealistic promises,” he added.

He affirmed that the state of the economy should not be used as the scapegoat for increasing taxes.

At the same time, Raila made strong remarks on extra judicial killings, accusing President Ruto of targeting Former DCI boss George Kinoti.

“We are concerned about the so-called probe into the so called extra-judicial executions which has turned into a witch-hunt against the former DCI boss George Kinoti. We are firmly opposed to the current trend directed by a vindictive regime, and the president that seems to pursue a personal vendetta against specific current and past state officers in the pretext of pursuing extra-judicial executions,” Raila said.

Since taking over, the President has made major changes in the security sector that saw Kinoti replaced with Amin Mohamed. He ordered the investigation of the operations of the disbanded Special Service Unit of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which had been established by Kinoti.