National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi recently said recently proposed exempting Kenyans earning below Sh30,000 from PAYE. [File, Standard] Higher household disposable income, increased funding for health, food security, and improved fiscal discipline by the government are among the key areas that many Kenyans want the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to address in the budget for the next financial year. According to the Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA) Citizens Alternative Budget, individual Kenyans and businesses want the government to revise the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) tax rates, which the institute said “can stimulate economic activity and support job creation, especially…
Author: By Kamau Macharia
Treasury CS John Mbadi, after receiving the National Student Budget Forum FY 2026/27 from the National Students Budget Chairman Solomon Oketch, in Nairobi, on December 18, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] The government plans to borrow heavily from the domestic market to finance the budget deficit for the 2026-27 financial year. Unlock the Full Story — Join Thousands of Informed Kenyans Today Support Bold Journalism Unlimited access to all premium content Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience Mobile-optimized reading experience Weekly Newsletters MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted Already a subscriber? Log in `; } else { teaserEl.innerHTML = “”; } activeEl.innerHTML =…
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi during the 2025 Budget reading at Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, on June 12, 2025. [Elvis Ogina, Standard] In the Finance Bill 2025, now awaiting presidential assent, the National Treasury largely refrained from introducing new tax proposals. Seemingly chastened by last year’s public outcry, it appears to have taken heed of the protests led by young Kenyans—predominantly Gen Z—who condemned the punitive taxation measures contained in the Finance Bill 2024. But perhaps the most significant lesson the Treasury has drawn is the value of fragmentation. Rather than front-loading all contentious measures into a single Finance Bill, it…