Counties and bizarre levies to raise funds

Churches were not spared in a bid by counties to raise revenues      PHOTO  ;     COURTESY  

Kiambu,Kenya: With the realisation of devolution, county governments were forced to introduce new levies and taxes in an effort to raise money to run the devolved functions.

With that, the public was introduced to new frontiers in taxation by being forced to pay levies on things that were never taxed in the country's history.

These new tax proposals from various county governments were meant to seal budget deficits and fund development projects.

The proposals, however, gave birth to bizarre and outrageous levies in several counties; forcing the public in some counties to stage protests.

Some of the most bizarre incidences were making the death taxable as well as slapping new taxes on everyone including chicken farmers.

Some counties went as far as introducing laws, which made religious activities taxable, a move that was seen by the clergy as an obstacle to spiritual nourishment.

In 2013, the Kiambu County Finance Act 2013 raised uproar not only from the county residents but the country at large when it sought to tax the dead.

The bill proposed a payment of Sh4,500 to bury an adult, Sh3,000 and Sh2,500 to bury a child and an infant respectively in one's own compound.

The controversial law was later nullified by the High Court last year

Under the proposed Tax Bill 2013, Kakamega County planned to levy taxes on livestock and the dead. For space for private burial, the residents were required to part with Sh5,000 for an adult and Sh2,000 for a child.

On the other hand, a levy of Sh20 was to be charged for each chicken kept in an urban area.