A Press release by The Kenyan Community Abroad ( KCA )
Thursday, November 13th, 2008

MPs MUST pay Taxes

The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA) takes exception to the refusal by
our parliamentary representatives to pay taxes like the other 30
million plus Kenyans. It is not only inherently illegal but also
unethical.

KCA calls upon the executive to establish an oversee body to monitor
the pay of the parliamentarians and their taxation because it is not
logical for them to not only determine their wages, but also refuse to
pay taxes.

It instructive that the first order of duty when Kenya disposed the
KANU hegemony, the parliamentarian increased their salaries tenfold.

In 2006, amidst one of the most severe droughts in our country,
members of Parliament roused to action as seldom before, finding
common ground on an issue so pressing that they threatened to
stonewall the budget until it was addressed: another big increase in
their compensation. They now have refused to pay taxes.

It should also be noted that Kenya is amongst the countries with the
highest taxation rate in the world at 30%. Conversely, our members of
parliament are compensated at perversely rich levels. When compared
with the GDP and average income of the mwanainchi, it makes no sense
for the poor to be taxed while the rich take a free ride. In an ideal
situation, taxes should be stratified by income, with the poor paying
less and the high income earners paying more.

KCA calls upon the government to establish an independent authority
charged with establishing not only taxation, but also compensation for
parliamentarians. Alternatively, the Kenya Revenue Authority can serve
this role if given special right to determine compensation rates and
hierarchical tax structure.

Jared Oluoch

Secretary,

The Kenyan Community Abroad

– – –
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:31:09 -0800 [10:31:09 AM CST]
From: Jared Oluoch
Subject: KCA Press Release: MPs must pay taxes