At least 75 per cent of Kenyans strongly opposed the Finance Bill 2023, a new survey by Centre for Fiscal Affairs (CFA) and Twaweza has revealed.
In the survey, only 1.9 per cent of those who participated in the survey strongly support the bill.
"2.8 per cent support the Finance Bill 2023, while 2.4 per cent of Kenyans neither support the bill," the poll shows.
However, 17.8 per cent don't support the bill, with 83.8 per cent of respondents noting that there was no adequate citizen participation in drafting the bill.
The survey was conducted between May 19 and June 6, 2023, on an online forum and quizzed 25,966 participants.
Some 68 per cent of the correspondents supported the lowering of excise duty on data bundles to 15 per cent from 20 per cent.
The controversial bill which has received criticism and praise from leaders and Kenyans was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, ahead of a debate on Thursday.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndungu will on Thursday, June 15 read the budget in Parliament before the debate.
President William Ruto during his Madaraka Day speech expressed satisfaction with the debate that the proposed bill has been generating.
Ruto said the bill has changed the national discourse in the country from a political and ethnic discussion to an economic one.
“There is a robust debate on the Finance Bill taking place everywhere in this country, churches, social places formal and informal workplaces, all media platforms and busy as well as in urban and rural gathering,” Ruto said.
“For weeks now the debate has remained issue-oriented and there is no hint of divisive ethnic rhetoric at all."
