Long live Kenya! It’s been a long journey to this enlightened dictatorship of judges
Something is changing in Kenya. There are the makings of a rules-based regime, a new structure of politics where citizens are able to restrain the state on occasion, and the emergence of a new free society. ILLUSTRATION | JOSEPH NYAGAH | NMG
Kenya’s Court of Appeal on Wednesday declared the government’s 2023 Finance Act unconstitutional, adding a new headache for President William Ruto who in late June withdrew this year’s finance bill after deadly protests.
The 2023 Finance law enabled the Ruto government to double the value-added tax on fuel, introduce a housing tax, and raise the top personal income tax rate, among other measures. These are now likely in jeopardy unless the government mounts a successful appeal in the Supreme Court.
