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Businessman and former presidential candidate Jimi Wanjigi has come out to support Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party leader Raila Odinga’s threat to return to demonstations in a bid to compel the government to lower the cost of living.
Wanjigi said Odinga’s call is timely as Kenyans are overtaxed and the current regime seems unbothered by their suffering.
Citing the ballooning national debt, he said the cost of living was becoming unbearable for ordinary Kenyans and therefore the need for street action to pressure the Kenya Kwanza administration to repeal the controversial Finance Act, 2023 for the well-being of citizens.
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“I support him (Odinga) 101%. Street action and maandamano are embedded in our Constitution. This pain must be expressed, and let it be expressed on the streets, in our homes, in our churches…we must express it because we seem to have a government that is not listening,” he said.
Wanjigi attributed the rising cost of living to the national debt, arguing that for every Ksh.100 collected in revenue, about Ksh.70 goes to repay loans.
He slammed the President William Ruto-led regime reiterating that it had become deaf to the plight of citizens, and thus the only way for Kenyans to be heard was to return to protests.
“It is not going to be an easy year, that is a reality. About a year ago, our national debt was Ksh.8.6 trillion, now it is Ksh.11 trillion even after paying Ksh.2 trillion to that debt. That is the biggest threat to our lives and continues to be. The President was very clear that he is taking Ksh.7 out of every Ksh.10…Ksh.70 out of every Ksh.100 of our tax revenue, and he has to keep increasing tax because of it,” he stated.
“Kenya Kwanza is taking us to a route of bankruptcy. That pain will be felt in 2024. I urge my fellow Kenyans to understand that nothing short of a revolution is going to take us out of this, nothing!”
The remarks by Wanjigi come after the opposition leader on Monday hinted at a possible resumption of mass action to compel the government to reconsider its contested policies.
He vowed to ensure that the high taxation regime witnessed in the country in the last year comes to an end in 2024.
“Tunataka kuona mwaka huu 2024 ikiwa mzuri kuliko ile ya 2023. Tunataka ushuru ishuke na gharama ya maisha irudi chini,” said Mr. Odinga.
“Zakayo awache kutoza watu ushuru…Zakayo ashuke…akuje hapa chini pamoja na sisi.”
