Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi has expressed concern over recent remarks by CKB Governor Kamau Thugge over the weakening shilling.
Speaking before the National Assembly’s Finance and National Planning Committee last week, Thugge said that Kenya has maintained an “artificially strong” shilling for the past six years due to overvaluation.
Elachi further wants the current economic advisors to the President removed from office and a new team that understands the government operations established.
Speaking on KTN News on Monday, Elachi said their current policies which have left Kenyans overburdened due to over taxation have made several companies close and exit the Kenyan markets.
She noted that most of the companies are still struggling to come out of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on them adding that they need to be given time to rebuild before the government begins overtaxing them.
“For me, if there is anything we should be talking about as Parliament is to remove these economic advisors and for the President to look for a key team that understands government because his economic advisors have never worked in government," Elachi said.
“The worst they ever did to this country is to wake up on TV and tell us we overvalued our shilling. You killed us through Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and you think you are talking so well to us; we are tired of negativity in this economic sector.”
She said it is time the leaders of the country come together and discuss how to revive the shilling and how to save Kenyans from the taxation burden they have been subjected to.
She expressed concern that if nothing is done, life will become unbearable for most Kenyans, with the ripple effect being witnessed next year when most children will remain at home due to lack of fees.
“I want to tell them since you are prayerful then pray for grace. It is like they don’t even have the grace to run the offices," Elachi said.
"You wake up in the morning and tell us you overvalued your shilling, how do you tell us that in front of East Africa where this shilling has been there since independence?”