Trans-Nzoia residents have called on the government to consider lowering taxation on farm inputs before passing the Finance Bill 2025.
This follows a public participation exercise on the Bill conducted by the Departmental Committee on Finance & National Planning on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at the Kitale National Polytechnic.
“Residents of Trans-Nzoia County have participated in the Public hearings on the Finance Bill, 2025 and the Virtual Asset Service Providers Bill, 2025. The hearings spearheaded by the Departmental Committee on Finance & National Planning took place at the Kitale National Polytechnic. Among issues raised by residents was the need to reduce taxation on agricultural farm inputs to boost production,” the National Assembly stated on Wednesday, June 4, 2025.
“The delegation led by Committee Vice-Chairperson Hon. Benjamin Lang’at also received memoranda on the Bill from several stakeholders, including students at the institution.”
On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the National Assembly Committee on Finance and National Planning was in Busia and Migori Counties where the residents gave their views on the Bill.
Before the exercise went to other counties, the committee spent a week in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, gathering views from Kenyans on the tax laws that will define the tax policy for the country in the next 12 months.
On Thursday, June 5, 2025, the committee will be in Kiambu and Machakos Counties where they will gather views from residents on the Bill.
People’s will
Before the public participation exercise kicked off, the MPs allayed any fears that the government would bulldoze its way and pass all the proposals without considering the citizens’ input.
Speaking on Saturday, May 31, 2025, Lang’at assured Kenyans that their contributions will directly influence the Bill’s final proposals.
“This is not an exercise in futility. It’s a very important exercise. This Finance Bill is a proposal to the National Assembly and it has to undergo the necessary legislative process, including public participation, to become law,” Langat explained during the exercise, which marked the commencement of hearings in Nairobi County.
The bill, sponsored by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, seeks to amend several key pieces of tax legislation, including the Income Tax Act, the Value Added Tax Act, the Excise Duty Act, the Tax Procedures Act, the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act, and the Stamp Duty Act.
The National Assembly Finance Committee Chair, Kuria Kimani, on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, emphasised the importance of making public participation more inclusive and effective.
Speaking to a local media station, Kuria revealed that members of the Department of Budget Committee and National Planning are considering the integration of social media as a key tool for active public participation in the Finance Bill 2025.
“One of the conversations we are having as the national assembly and as a department of budget committee and national planning is that the way public participation has always been carried out is so traditional, where we thought that we scored very greatly, is calling people for a town hall meeting at KICC,” Kuria Kimani said.
“The question is how many people are willing to leave their workplaces to come to KICC and give their views? Perhaps we need to have a way of taking the feedback we get from our social media platforms as actual, active public participation. We are not saying you need to write an email.”
Francis Muli
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