NAIROBI, Kenya- Lawyer and constitutional activist Willis Evans Otieno has criticised the government’s economic approach, accusing it of placing an unfair burden on ordinary Kenyans while resisting tax relief measures for low-income earners.
In a statement shared online, Otieno questioned the government’s argument that it could not afford to lose Sh35 billion through tax relief for struggling workers, saying the position exposed the country’s current economic philosophy.
According to Otieno, the government appeared more concerned about protecting revenue collection than easing the suffering of millions of Kenyans grappling with the rising cost of living.
“Kenyans are being told that the government cannot afford to lose KSh35 billion by granting tax relief to low-income earners, and that statement alone reveals the direction of the country’s economic philosophy,” he said.
His remarks come amid growing public frustration over soaring fuel prices, rising electricity bills, high food costs and stagnant salaries that have continued to squeeze households across the country.
Otieno argued that the government was increasingly shifting the burden of sustaining public revenue onto ordinary citizens instead of tackling corruption, wastage and inflated public spending.
“At a time when fuel prices are surging, food costs are becoming unbearable, electricity bills keep rising, and salaries remain largely stagnant, the burden of sustaining government revenue is increasingly being shifted onto ordinary citizens,” he stated.
The lawyer further questioned why billions allegedly lost through corruption scandals, failed projects and inflated procurement deals rarely attract the same urgency from authorities compared to proposed tax relief measures.
“What makes this more frustrating is the contrast in urgency: relief for struggling families is treated as a dangerous revenue loss, yet billions lost through corruption, wastage, inflated procurement, and failed public projects rarely trigger the same alarm,” he added.
Otieno warned that Kenya risks weakening its economy by continuously burdening low-income earners, saying they form the backbone of local consumption and small businesses.
“An economy cannot sustainably grow by continuously weakening the purchasing power of its lowest earners because those are the very people who drive consumption, small businesses, and local demand,” he said.
