One World

By John Muthoga Wambugu In a nation richly endowed with natural resources, human capital, and entrepreneurial potential, a painful contradiction continues to define the lives of many young Kenyans. While political elites accumulate immense wealth, acquire luxurious properties, and dominate lucrative government tenders, millions of Kenyan youths remain trapped in chronic unemployment, economic despair, and social uncertainty. The widening gap between the privileged political class and ordinary citizens has become one of the most pressing socio-economic crises in modern Kenya. Kenya’s youthful population represents one of the largest demographic groups in the country. Every year, thousands of graduates leave universities and colleges with hopes of securing dignified employment and building meaningful futures. However, these aspirations are frequently shattered by a harsh economic reality characterized by nepotism, corruption, favoritism, and unequal access to opportunities. For many yo...

“The Finance Bill, 2023 wants to raise revenue through tax, but Kenyans are being crushed by the high cost of living, stagnant and limited income,” it stated. On specific proposals in the Bill, 94 percent of respondents indicated they completely do not support a plan to raise Value Added Tax (VAT) on fuel products from 8 percent to 16 percent, as 2.2 percent said they slightly do not support the proposal. This was the proposal rejected by most Kenyans, among the respondents. Only 1.7 percent of the respondents indicated that they completely support the proposal. At least 92.4 percent of the respondents completely do not support the proposed 3 percent house levy (which was revised downwards to 1.5 percent by the National Assembly’s Finance committee), with only 3 percent of respondents indicating complete support. Also, 90 percent of the respondents completely do not support a proposal to raise the excise tax on mobile money transfer services from 12 percent to 15 percent, but 2.5 perce...