Kenya’s 2025 Budget: No New Taxes Proposed Following Last Year’s Protests

Kenya’s 2025/26 budget proposals will avoid new taxes after last year’s deadly anti-tax protests left more than 50 people dead. Finance Minister John Mbadi announced that the government’s focus will shift from raising rates to improving tax administration and closing loopholes. The new finance bill aims to boost revenue by $193.95 million to $232.74 million without introducing major new tax measures. Instead, it proposes providing tax authorities with access to personal and business financial data to combat evasion, sparking criticism over privacy concerns. The total budget expenditure is set at $30.97 billion, with a projected deficit of 4.5% of GDP. The proposal is now before parliament ahead of next month’s budget presentation.

Reuters