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I stand in solidarity with Omtatah on Finance Act – Kigame

"Solidarity in truth, justice and democracy continues to be evasive in our day."

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by EMMANUEL WANJALA

News10 August 2023 - 16:22
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In Summary


  • • Omtatah has appealed a decision by the Court of Appeal to lift the suspension on implementation of the Finance Act, 2023.
  • • Kigame said he stands in solidarity for truth, justice and democracy, virtues he said continue to be evasive in today's society.
Evangelist Reuben Kigame.

Evangelist Reuben Kigame says he is in total support of the appeal filed by Busia Senator and activist Okiya Omtatah against the implementation of the Finance Act, 2023.

In a statement on Thursday, Kigame said he is ready to play the devil's advocate now for the greater good of all tomorrow against what he termed as an oppressive Act which should have all Kenyans worried.

"I wish to publicly declare that I stand in total solidarity with Okiya Omtatah on the oppressive Finance Act 2023. The raid at his office, the transfer of the judge that listened to this case and the tone the West has adopted on the matter should make us all very worried."

Justice Mugure Thande on July 10 suspended the Act but the freeze was lifted by a three-judge bench of the appellate court on July 28.

Omtatah appealed the decision together with three others and the application has since been referred to Chief Justice Martha Koome to empanel a bench to hear it.

The Finance Act, 2023 contains various tax policy measures which the Kenya Kwanza government said would expand the tax base and generate enough revenue to oil its Sh3.6 trillion budget.

But Omtatah together with Eliud Matindi, Benson Otieno and Brian Oigoro argue in their application that the Finance Bill, 2023 which resulted in the Act contained 22 sections that were sneaked in on the floor of the House.

While quoting the words of prolific British poet and novelist G. K. Chesterton as contained in his "spiritual autobiography" Orthodoxy, Kigame said he is ready to stand in solidarity for truth, justice and democracy, virtues he said continue to be evasive in today's society.

"This is the first principle of democracy: that the essential things in men are the things they hold in common, not the things they hold separately," Chesterton said in his book.

In reference to the above statement, Kigame said the Kenya Kwanza regime was operating in the belief that minoritarianism is the definition of democracy.

"Ninety-three per cent of the citizens of Kenya do not want the Finance Act and I guess the Kenya Kwanza government believes that they are not dictators. They are equally redefining who a dictator is," he said.

"The KK government is taking a hot shower. In 4 years most of them will walk out into the cold night. In 10 years almost all of them will be out of the shower. Then history may repeat itself. I accept my role as devil today and profit tomorrow both with as much joy as disdain," he added.

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