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{
    "id": 1441065,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1441065/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 141,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Kisumu West, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Rozaah Buyu",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": " Hon. Speaker, I want to thank you for this opportunity. First, I want to congratulate all those young people who went out to the streets on their own volition to protest. They are taking control of their lives. I want to give credit to one man in this country, the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga. He is able to awaken the consciousness amongst Kenyans and we have seen the fruit of his efforts throughout his life. I want to oppose the Finance Bill 2024. The reason as to why I am opposing the Bill is that it has taken the easiest way out to get finances to service the Budget. This Government believes that the easiest way out is to tax, tax, and tax Kenyans regardless of how difficult life is for them. Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore, the Finance Bill cannot kill Kenyans in their effort to pay tax to service the Budget. I expected Treasury and the Government to look inward and see exactly what they can do to reduce taxes or to reduce the amount required in the Finance Bill. Hon. Speaker, there is too much duplication in Government. The Office of the Deputy President, for example, has functions that are being performed by other departments in Government. In the Budget, the Deputy President has been allocated Ksh415 million for drug abuse intervention. This is something that is already being carried out by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA). He has also been allocated another Ksh250 million to give awards and medals to people who reform from drunkards to become sober citizens. That is a function that can be done away with. It does not matter how much funds we raise if we do not spend them prudently. We cannot tax Kenyans so that we spend almost Ksh1.5 billion on renovating state lodges and the Office of the Deputy President. We cannot tax bread, a basic necessity, so that we give the Deputy President money to buy cars for his office. For that reason, I say no on behalf of Kisumu West Constituency."
}