This archive report was first published on 22 September 2021.
On September 22, 2021, residents of Kakamega county in Kenya took to the streets to protest proposed tax laws that have left many feeling overburdened.
The proposed laws, which are part of the 2021 Finance bill, include a tax on circumcision and post-mortem services on dead animals, including cats, dogs, and chickens.
According to local leaders, the new taxes will be imposed on residents who have already been struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are in a pandemic and instead of the government giving us incentives, it is burdening us with more taxes," said Geoffrey Wekesa, a market leader in Kakamega.
Private school owners are also set to be affected, with a 300% increase in operating fees, from Ksh25,000 to Ksh100,000.
Meshack Lanziva, chair of the Private Schools Association, described the move as a "polite way of asking them to close shop in Kakamega county".
However, County Committee Executive for Finance David Ikunza defended the new tax proposals, stating that they are just proposals and that the county assembly will include all the proposals by locals before the bill is passed into law.
