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"content": "(Applause)"
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"id": 1589983,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
"speaker": null,
"content": "In view of the existing legal framework and concerns raised by Kenyans, the Committee concludes that the proposed amendment is both unnecessary and potentially unconstitutional. The Committee has remained consistent on this matter in previous finance-related measures brought before this House. This decision aligns with global best practices, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), a landmark privacy law that took effect in the European Union in May, 2018. Although GDPR is a European law, its principles have set global standards for data protection. They have also directly influenced Kenya’s Data Protection Act. These principles emphasise individual control, transparency and strict conditions for data processing. Upholding these standards is vital for protecting citizens’ privacy, maintaining public trust and ensuring that Kenyans regulatory environment remains credible, secure and investor-friendly in an increasingly digital world. The Committee proposes the introduction of a New Clause 28A to amend Paragraph 1 (c) of the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Act. It will allow telecommunication operators to claim investment allowance on the cost of spectrum licences, just as they currently do for items like optic cables. For spectrum licences acquired before 1st July 2025, the reduction will only apply to the remaining unclaimed portion and will be spread over the remaining useful life of the licence. The Committee fully supports this proposal, as it aligns with our agenda to access digital transformation and youth empowerment. Spectrum licences are a key investment for telecommunication companies. Allowing tax reduction will ease the cost burden and encourage further investment in digital infrastructure. This expansion will create opportunities for young people by improving access to digital services, supporting digital entrepreneurship and driving job creation in the technology and innovation sectors. Despite Kenya being one of the countries with the highest mobile connectivity, there are still some places in this country without network. Therefore, this particular incentive will incentivise our telecommunication companies to have more mobile connectivity, including some places in my Constituency like some lower parts of Mariashoni. This Committee's proposals reflect not only stakeholders’ input, but also a sound economic reasoning grounded in fiscal stimulus principles. By incentivising housing, manufacturing and green energy, the Finance Bill supports aggregate demand, promotes employment and stimulates growth in all, while preserving fiscal discipline. As we deliberate the Finance Bill, 2025, it is crucial to prioritise measures that effectively, expand our tax base and enhance revenue generation. This may involve innovative The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
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{
"id": 1589984,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
"speaker": null,
"content": "tax policy approaches such as incentivising compliance, simplifying tax procedures and overreaching barriers that hinder our revenue growth. Addressing this issue proactively and implementing them effectively, tax policies will ensure that we increase our tax revenue collection, in line with our economic potential. This will strengthen our fiscal position, allowing for investment in key sectors, social welfare programmes and infrastructure development that will foster economic growth to benefit all Kenyans. This huge task would not have been completed without the efforts of our dedicated and most professional secretarial staff. These unsung heroes worked day and night, without any supervision, to ensure that the Committee’s Report before the House comprehensively, responds to each of the 5,000 plus submissions received by this Committee. Production of this Report would also not have been possible were it not for the commitment of Members of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning. I am proud to be one among the equals who lead a very effective and committed team of Members of this particular Committee. We divided ourselves into groups. With a record 10 days, we covered public participation in 10 different counties across this Republic. In conclusion, in your inaugural speech in this House as the newly appointed Speaker in 2023, you indicated that one of our key visions for the National Assembly was e-Parliament. I am proud that consideration of the Finance Bill, 2025 was a paperless exercise. The only paper in the process was a copy of the Report we tabled last week. This was an invention of a young man, an intern in the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning, called Mr Alan Kimani. He is a Computer Science graduate of Kenyatta University. He developed a QR code. When stakeholders came to submit their proposals, they would just come and register without jumping the queue, and we would know who came first and then give them a first chance. In addition, stakeholders do not have to bring photocopies of their submissions. They were able to just scan the QR code and access the Bill itself. They were also given an option to comment clause by clause over the Bill and they also accessed the explainer that this Honourable House had published. If they had any general comments, they were able to give them. This made the process seamless and paperless. I want to laud this young man called Alan Kimani because that is how we should grow our technology and use our energies as young people. I challenge young people in this country."
},
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"id": 1589985,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Many people have texted me asking if it is true we are taxing new babies and other similar questions. It is unfortunate that some of these people are very learned people. The Finance Bill and the explainer are publicly available documents. Just by a simple Google search or a simple access of the Parliament website, one can access this particular information. But they do not bother to read. The deliberate misinformation and disinformation are sickening, and must stop. These people will deliberately create stories whereas, they know it is lies."
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"id": 1589987,
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"speaker": null,
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"id": 1589988,
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"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
"speaker": null,
"content": "They say that there is a tax for new babies and they know for sure there is nothing like that. They should be ashamed. Instead, they should use their knowledge for better purposes. With that, I beg to move and request, Hon. CPA Julius Rutto, the great Member of Parliament (MP) of Kesses to second."
},
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"id": 1589989,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Molo, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Kuria Kimani",
"speaker": null,
"content": "Thank you."
},
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"id": 1589990,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Hon. Peter Kaluma",
"speaker_title": "The Temporary Speaker",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Hon. CPA Julius Rutto, proceed. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
},
{
"id": 1589991,
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Kesses, UDA",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Julius Rutto",
"speaker": null,
"content": " Thank you so much, Hon. Temporary Speaker. I believe the Leader of the Majority Party can confirm that the Committee is very professional and that is why the report goes beyond any reproach. I stand to second the Report Tabled by the Chairperson of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning Committee, Hon. CPA Kuria Kimani, and to express our joy as a Committee. As we stand before the House, this particular Finance Bill, 2025 as it is said, is one of the best Finance Bills because it did not focus on the vertical adjustment as traditionally done, but rather, stressed on the horizontal adjustment – broadening the base of tax collection and ensuring that it makes it easy for Kenyans to participate in tax payment, unlike the complexities that were there before. Most of the Tax Acts that are in existence had a lot of duplications and complexities in terms of redundancy of some laws. If you remember, technology has changed the business world. Technology could also bring a lot of issues by complicating and duplicating what could otherwise be obtained, technically, through paperwork. For instance, the filing of tax returns as it has been done before. This particular Finance Bill serves to adjust such issues. Again, we need to remember that this particular House recently passed the National Tax Policy which has never been there before and if you look at the flow of this particular Finance Bill, it is trying to respond to the requirements of the Tax Policy by encouraging the business world in a manner that is so predictable. This will help business people to plan their businesses knowing that the tax regimes that are in place, can accommodate a certain monetary threshold, and they can plan their profits and strategies well. Looking at these particular proposals in the Finance Bill, I want to laud the Cabinet Secretary for The National Treasury and Economic Planning because most of the issues as I have said, tries to mitigate the challenges that for quite some time, have been ignored. The issue of tax expenditure as we have said. The Committee’s 2023 Report indicated that we have lost the tune of Ksh510 to Ksh560 billion. When we talk of tax expenditure, these are tax exemptions, remissions and reimbursements that we give that are claimed by the business owners, manufacturers and those who trade in the zero-rated inputs. Most of them have no clear line of transferring the final benefit to the consumer because most of this happens in the context of professional engagement; but if you look at some products and their pricing in the market, you will see the benefit. I know that most of us have recently visited our health facilities. When we access healthcare, especially those of us who are covered by insurance, the cost you see when you sign is so huge that at times you are unable to identify those benefits provided by this honourable House through the tax laws that we pass here. How do they affect the consumer? Those are the issues that we want to minimise so that, in future, we stop increasing taxes and instead, collect enough from available tools and finance our Budget accordingly."
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