UN boss now questions UHURU’s reasoning as he begs him to extend tax relief for Kenyans – You cannot remove tax relief in the middle of a pandemic for God’s sake

Wednesday, December 9, 2020 – United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Secretary-General, Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi, has appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to extend tax reliefs to Kenyans. 

Speaking at the Kusi Ideas Festival in Kisumu yesterday, Kituyi said that reversing the taxes would affect the economy and its recovery and also hurt the citizens who are grappling with the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“I would like to suggest humbly that you do not suspend the waivers in the middle of a pandemic.”

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“Continue with those waivers until the alternative mechanisms that you have announced are in place, then you can remove them,” Kituyi stated. 


The UN boss noted that all economic recovery plans on the continent should be embedded within health recovery plans and not vice versa, where governments primarily focus on the pandemic before dealing with the economic devastation from the health crisis.

He further proposed that African governments hatch strategies to subsidize the agricultural sector and cushion start-ups as part of the economic recovery plan. 

Treasury CS Ukur Yatani announced that tax relief will be reversed at the end of December 2020. 

Only Kenyans earning less than Ksh24,000 will be spared from the reversals. 

On January 1, 2021, the corporate tax rate will revert to 30% from the current 25%, while the individual Income tax rate will revert to 30% from the current 25% for those earning above Ksh24,000.

The Value Added Tax rate (VAT) on products will revert to 16% from the current 14%. 

The Kenyan DAILY POST