Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has accused opposition leaders of misleading the public over the contents of the Finance Bill, 2026 currently under consideration by the National Assembly.
Mr Mbadi said the leaders have been quoting non-existent provisions just for political expediency urging Kenyans to get the actual Bill either on the treasury website or hard copies in parliament to read for themselves.
In particular, Mr Mbadi took issue with Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka who over the weekend called on Kenyans to reject the Finance Bill, 2026 saying it contains punitive provisions on land ownership.
John Mbadi the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Speaking at ACK St Stephen’s Cathedral in Kenol, Murang’a County, Musyoka urged citizens to scrutinise the bill closely during public participation, arguing it would quietly introduce financial mechanisms detrimental to ordinary households and small-scale landowners.
“Reject Finance Bill 2026/27 as it is, as it is going to quietly introduce leases which will be really hard for people from the Mt Kenya region,” Mr Musyoka said.
However, while addressing various public concerns over Finance Bill, 2026 Mr Mbadi said there is no provision in the Finance Bill, 2026 that talks about land leasehold
“Mr Musyoka is a Senior Counsel, it surprises me that he can talk about things that are not even in the Bill. Can Kalonzo tell the people of Kenya the particular clause in the Bill talking about taxation of land? I have read the Bill that Parliament published from cover to cover, and I have not seen any such provision talking about land,” Mr Mbadi said.
“I know Kalonzo has ambition of becoming President at one point. He would not want when his government proposes a Bill for raising revenue measures for people to bring propaganda on it. Let us stop playing politics and raise genuine concerns that are contained in the Bill,” the CS added.
The National Assembly through a statement has also dismissed claims that the Finance Bill, 2026 has provisions for land ownership, land rent and conversion of freehold into leasehold tenure.
The House clarified that the claims being shared on social media were inaccurate and intended to mislead members of the public.
“The 2026 Finance Bill contains a total of 57 clauses, and none is on the subject of land,” the statement read.
Parliament further clarified that the Bill contains no provisions to introduce annual land rent payments for owners of freehold land.
“This is purely false, incorrect, and untrue. The Bill has no provisions on land. The Bill has no provisions on land rent,” the statement added.
Mr Mbadi said he has no problem with Kenyans pointing out the clauses that they are uncomfortable with in the Bill. “If there is something problematic with the Finance Bill 2026, let us point it out and propose amendments to Parliament for consideration, but let us not politicise it."
The Wiper Patriotic Front leader had claimed there were hidden provisions in the Bill that would affect leasehold and freehold land ownership.
“I watched his press conference, and he said, ‘Reject the Finance Bill.’ So I was waiting to hear why Kalonzo, of all people, would ask for the Finance Bill to be rejected,” Mbadi said.
On the proposed 25 per cent excise duty on mobile phones which has sparked debate especially among the young people, Mr Mbadi the proposal has been misunderstood and it’s causing unnecessary panic.
“This provision is just meant to simplify the tax paid by removing multiple tax layers being paid by those selling phones. In fact, if it is passed in its current form, it will make mobile phones cheaper and not expensive and people are being told,” Mr Mbadi said.
Mr Mbadi explained that currently mobile phone operators pay cumulative taxes and levies of 55 percent when they import the mobile phones. “What we are now doing through the Bill, is to make all levies such as import duty, VAT and others into one and charge 25 percent tax, is that a good thing or bad? He posed to reporters.
“If you genuinely bring phones into this country, then this proposal is for you because it will make phones cheaper. Tell me why young people should be told to reject this proposal? He posed.
Mr Mbadi also accused former speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi of talking about illegalities in the Bill which do not even exist.
“Muturi of all the people who presided over the passage of controversial laws in parliament, made us go to the streets. We are now talking about illegalities. Maybe his Damascus moment has now come,” Mr Mbadi said.
“Someone just say, let us reject the Finance Bill because it has punitive tax but they don’t highlight those punitive tax measures, then I ask myself whether people are just politicising the Finance Bill,2026,” added the CS.
The Bill has already sparked debate across the country with the united opposition leaders threatening to take to the streets and bring back the ghosts of anti-government demonstrations witnessed in 2024.
