Withdraw Finance bill, stop 'Mungiki' crackdown Azimio tells government

The Azimio la Umoja coalition has accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of not thinking through the Finance Bill.

In a statement, the Azimio Economic Council says admission by the President William Ruto-led administration is damning evidence that many measures in the proposed bill are poorly conceived.

"The Housing Levy, even with the proposed reduction in rate, remains a bad idea," reads the statement.

Azimio says the reduction in the rate of the levy will take double the number of years for employees to benefit.

"When you remove the employer, it means the employee will now take four times as long."

They say argue that all other statutory deductions like NHIF and NSSF are shared between employer and employee.

"It is clear that Kenya Kwanza lacks even the basic understanding of simple arithmetic because, with a 1.5 per cent contribution, it will take members 200 years to benefit."

They add that they are curious to know how Kenya Kwanza will raise Kenya's life expectancy to accommodate the deductions maturity.

According to Azimio, Kenya Kwanza's decision to reduce the percentage of contribution is an admission that the entire bill is punitive and should be withdrawn.

"It is time for austerity measures and not tax hikes."

The coalition has alleged that the government is about to unleash brute and deadly force on youths in Central Kenya and parts of Nairobi by accusing them of being members of the Mungiki sect.

"Without tabling any evidence whatsoever that Mungiki has re-emerged and is engaged in criminal activities, Kenya Kwanza has embarked on a campaign of warning the sect of dire consequences over illicit brews and non-existent protest marches among other imaginary crimes," reads the statement.

Azimio says that the government should not run away from responsibility and should instead fulfil their campaign economic promises since most of the young men accused of being members of Mungiki were their foot soldiers.

"Those youth feel frustrated, betrayed, used and dumped. They are not criminals but victims of a false dawn and broken promises."

"The youths deserve a deal, not guns and bullets."

They say that government must give youths jobs and training promised during campaigns and admit failure adding that they should restore programs like Kazi Mtaani.

"They could also do with direct cash transfer in these difficult times as it is clear the so-called Hustler Fund is not working for them despite the hype."

The coalition says they will not sit back and watch government resort to extra-judicial killings and enforced disappearances of witnesses witnessed in the name of fighting crime.

"The country is in economic depression, with many families unable to cater for members. The times require creativity and empathy, not quick recourse to guns and bullets."