Safina Party leader Jimi Wanjigi has called on Kenyans to reject the proposed Finance Bill 2026, arguing that it would increase the tax burden on citizens while deepening the country’s debt challenges.
Speaking during a press briefing, Wanjigi criticized the government’s 2026/27 budget proposals, describing them as a continuation of what he termed excessive taxation and borrowing.
He claimed the government was seeking to raise an additional KSh120 billion through taxes and questioned the sustainability of Kenya’s current debt management strategy.
Wanjigi also renewed allegations that some public debt was accumulated through irregular borrowing mechanisms, calling for greater transparency and accountability in public finance.
“The debts the Kenya Kwanza administration are paying are illegal and we will not allow that ,”He said.
He argued that continued borrowing to service existing obligations was placing an increasing burden on taxpayers and diverting resources away from development priorities.
He argued that Kenya’s public debt has reached approximately KSh13 trillion, while debt servicing costs continue to consume a significant share of government expenditure.
He expressed concern over the growing reliance on domestic borrowing through Treasury bills and bonds, warning that it could crowd out private sector investment and slow economic growth.
He further questioned the legitimacy of debt allegedly incurred without full parliamentary approval and called on financial institutions to exercise caution when participating in future government borrowing programs.
Wanjigi said the projected KSh2.6 trillion annual debt-servicing bill was competing with spending on essential services such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and infrastructure.
He argued that additional taxation would further weaken household purchasing power and business activity.
As an alternative, he proposed a policy platform focused on what it described as economic sovereignty, reduced taxation, and increased accountability in publi