Nathaniel Mong'are has defended the government's decision to raise taxes, saying the money is needed to finance national development and fund the country's ambitions.
Speaking on Citizen TV's JK Live programme during a segment titled "Tomorrow's Voices Today in which youth leaders confronted the issues shaping their future, Mong'are said the country had for a long time made peace with mediocrity and that this had to change.
He argued that raising taxes was a deliberate choice aimed at paying for development rather than settling for limited goals. By linking revenue collection to national ambitions, he presented the policy as an investment in the country's future rather than a burden on citizens.
Mong'are also called for a shift in the country's political culture, saying the politics of exclusion must come to an end and be replaced by a policy of inclusion.
He did not, in the remarks quoted specify which groups he believed had been shut out, but the call fits into a wider national conversation about representation, access to opportunities and the distribution of public resources.
His comments are likely to draw mixed reactions. Taxation has been among the most contentious issues in recent years, with many Kenyans, particularly young people, voicing concern over the cost of living and the pressure of new levies on household and business incomes.
Government supporters, on the other hand, maintain that higher revenue is necessary to reduce borrowing, service debt and pay for infrastructure, education and health programmes.
The JK Live segment brought together young leaders to discuss the issues shaping the country's future, with taxation, jobs, technology and political participation featuring prominently in the conversation.
Mong'are's remarks add to a series of statements from the panel in which he has defended the administration's record, including on the pace of digitisation.
As the country moves towards the 2027 General Election, debate over how the government raises and spends public money is expected to remain central to political discourse
Link; https://x.com/citizentvkenya/status/2120615458923487475?a=4JKM7GO_t5Epx1tB55M&s=19
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