Azimio stand on revised finance bill 2023.
In a press release, Azimio stand on revised finance bill 2023 was declared.
The statement read;
We have had a meeting of Azimio Summit and the technical team regarding the inaugural budget estimates, including its so-called amendments that Kenya Kwanza moves for Second Reading in the National Assembly tomorrow.
After going through the document, our position remains that the Budget proposal remains flawed beyond redemption. As we said earlier, no amount of amendments can redeem this Bill. There are things we are deeply passionate and unrelenting about.
We believe Kenyans have been hurting for a prolonged period of time. This Budget proposal prolongs and worsens the suffering of the people. As a party, we believe Kenyans will thrive when we cut, not when we increase taxes. This proposal increases taxes.
We believe the country will thrive when we moderate our expenditure. This Bill raises expenditures and proposes to spend what we don’t have. We believe the country will do better when we devolve more in line with the Constitution. This Bill proposes to devolve less and instead ask for more money for the national government for otherwise devolved functions.
We believe our country will function better when we strengthen the Middle Class. This budget will kill the middle class and when we kill middle class, we hurt millions of our people. We believe in extending and expanding social security protection to our people. This Bill diminishes social protection.
We believe in creating an enabling environment for manufacturing so that more investors can set up in our country and provide jobs to our people. This Bill offers little if any in terms of encouraging manufacturing. We believe in empowering the private sector and enabling it to be the driver of growth in our country. This Bill frustrates the privates sector with taxes.
We are passionate about extending a helping hand to women and particularly to single mothers and the youth. This Bill takes away from our women and our youth. We are passionate about access to quality education and ensuring no single child is left behind. This Bill will diminish those opportunities.
In a nutshell, we believe this country needs and deserves a PEOPLE’S BUDGET. We repeat. We believe in a PEOPLE’S BUDGET. We believe in a rights based budget. That budget is coming. Kenyans will have a PEOPLE’S BUDGET. We believe in a country that lives within its means so that we are not held hostage by countries that lend us money. Borrowing to spend is not a wise idea.
What we have here is not a people’s budget. What we have here is a leaders’ budget. Finally, we believe in budget that is sold to Kenyans as one indivisible country and people. Because Kenya Kwanza realizes the entire Bill is punitive and obnoxious, it is dividing, stigmatizing and threatening our people.
It is trying to isolate central Kenya so that the region does not engage fully in debating this bill. They are dividing our youth into Mungiki, drunkards and drug addicts so as to stop them from participating in any opposition to this budget. Our Members of Parliament are mobilized, whipped and aligned. They will reject this anti-people Bill.
We now appeal to you the Kenya Kwanza MPs. We know that in your heart of hearts, you know this budget is wrong. We urge you to join your Azimio counterparts and stand with the people.
We ask the mama mbogas, watu wa mjengo, watu wa mkokoteni, watu wa boda, the teachers, the nurses, the doctors, the hawkers, among others, to ask themselves, does this budget serve your welfare? Will this budget leave you better than you are currently or than you were as Kenya Kwanza was campaigning in 2022?
If the answer is no, tell your MP to vote against the Bill.Otherwise, we appeal to Kenyans to be on standby and on the lookout. In the event they ram this through your throats, don’t give up; don’t surrender. Join us in the next course of action that we will communicate. We shall emerge stronger. We shall overcome.
Also read If your MP is opposed to the bill, do not ask for roads- DP Gachagua