The 2025 Finance Bill will now proceed to President Ruto for assent after the National Assembly passed it on Thursday.
The Members of Parliament agreed to pass the Bill after considering key reports from the Finance and Planning Committee, led by Molo MP Kuria Kimani.
The MPs unanimously agreed to approve the Bill, which Ruto’s administration intends to use to finance its budget for the session.
MPs passes the 2025 finance bill. Photo: Courtesy.
However, the House dropped the clause that sought to grant the Kenya Revenue Authority access to personal and financial data, which had been the subject of contentious debate.
Treasury CS John Mbadi had repeatedly defended the move as a necessary step to improve tax compliance, citing the challenges of voluntary compliance and the tendency among even well-off individuals to under-declare their incomes.
The Bill further contains proposals to amend the Miscellaneous Fees and Levies Act, highlighting import declaration fees and railway development levies for specific goods.
According to the cabinet, the current bill seeks to seal loopholes related to tax expenditures that have historically been exploited to siphon funds from public coffers.
Last year, President Ruto was forced to withhold assent to the Finance Bill 2024 following a wave of nationwide protests triggered by the government’s controversial revenue-raising proposals.
