Saba Saba rally to fight tax oppression, says Azimio leader Raila Odinga

Azimio la Umoja One Kenya leader Raila Odinga has insisted that the planned Saba Saba rally scheduled for July 7 is meant to convey Kenyans’ dissatisfaction with President William Ruto’s government.

Mr Odinga said that Parliament had failed Kenyans and that the people must therefore take up the authority vested in them by the Constitution.

“Opinion polls conducted recently show that the people are unhappy. They have rejected the increase in taxes that this regime is forcing down their throats,” said Mr Odinga.

He continued: “On July 7, the people will take back the authority that was given to them. The people who were elected to represent them have been bought by the government. That is why Kenyans will come out and say enough is enough.”

Mr Odinga accused President Ruto of taking Kenya back to the dark days of the Nyayo era.

“I want you to understand that I am speaking on behalf of millions of people in this country. The Nyayo regime tried but failed and I want to tell them that Kenyans will not allow them to take this country back to the dark days,” he said.

While comparing the Kenya Kwanza regime to the Narc government of 2002, he said: “We brought in technocrats and within four years we managed to revive the economy without increasing taxes. At the end of four years after we took over, the country collected over a trillion shillings in taxes.”

“A lot of public money is lost in procurement, where a vehicle that costs Sh2 million is procured at Sh7 million. On top of that, they use a lot of public funds to do things that don’t benefit the common man,” Mr Odinga added.

Earlier in the day, Mr Odinga held a closed-door meeting with all members of the Siaya County Assembly, and one of the items on the agenda, according to reliable sources, was the way forward after the Senate overturned Deputy Governor William Oduol’s impeachment.

Siaya Governor James Orengo also castigated the government for failing to obey court orders suspending the implementation of the Finance Act, 2023. “We have seen this government openly defying court orders. If they are leading the way in defying the courts, why should we recognise them,” asked Mr Orengo.

Seme MP James Nyikal said: “It is sad that this government is telling ordinary people to pay taxes until they die. How will they benefit if they are already dead, it is like the Shakahola method where the pastor tells people to starve in the name of enjoying heaven.”