Re: [CofekDigest] #2: What the new Finance Law means to you as a consumer

Reading or listening to the local news these days brings so much anger and pain to the Wananchi that it's unbelievable. Our so-called 'elected' government is responsible for this, unfortunately.

We are some of the highest taxed people on this planet, yet we are a developing country with over 50% of the citizens unemployed and/or living below the poverty line. We also do not get all the services that we pay for through our high taxation system. My question is - WHY?

In fact, we get persecuted instead! Let me elaborate....

Starting in full swing a couple of  months ago, this government suddenly woke up to the fact that a lot of it's public land had been misappropriated and 'developed' and decided, as it usually does, that it should all be returned. 

So, how did it start doing this? Not by going to the root of the problem, i.e., by taking the crooked 'officials' amongst themselves who acquired this questionable land and then sold it to the public as well as the so-called 'town-planners' who, despite knowing that this was questionable land, continued to pass plans for residential and commercial buildings. The buyers of these parcels of land do not necessarily know that what they are buying or investing in is 'public' property. Very few do know, in fact. 

Therefore, by demolishing buildings, the government is punishing people who are most likely innocent of any wrong doing and most will be financially ruined since they would have invested their savings in buying property. 

So, why has this government victimized the buyers only and NOT the sellers and the ones who passed the plans? Very selective, I feel and not at all JUST!

Next, the government has been borrowing for various so-called projects, it claims, without the wananchi knowing all the details and not necessarily with their approval and is now suffering from a huge debt which it needs back to pay pronto. Guess who is at the receiving end of the 'solution'? Yes, we the wananchi, of course! And how is this govt., planning to do this? Of course, by taxing us. 

So, they've passed a VERY UNJUST finance bill taxing an already over-taxed mwananchi, most of whom are unemployed and find it near impossible to lead a decent life. 

I noticed something very interesting in the way the taxes have been enumerated. The one thing that taxes have been drastically reduced for is betting, i.e. gambling. My question to GoK is - is it trying to encourage gambling?! A vice which will ruin some more lives, no doubt.

And as I write this, I've just found out that KRA is going to be fishing into our bank accounts, especially those of us who file 'no returns', to tax what we have in the bank. 

This government is on its way to taxing its citizens to  death all under the spurious label of 'development', for they cannot see or appreciate conditions of life of the majority of this land. They are too high and mighty to even begin to understand....

And to add insult to injury, we are also arrogantly being told to leave if we don't like it. We would, if there was another place than this which we could call home. We are THAT fed up!

🤔😥😪

On Fri, 21 Sep 2018 at 18:49, Consumers Federation of Kenya (Cofek) <hotline@cofek.co.ke> wrote:

Dear All,

The controversial passage of President Uhuru Kenyatta's memorandum after rejecting the Finance Bill means that Government may raise Sh130 billion in taxes up to end of June, 2019 … http://www.cofek.co.ke/index.php/news-and-media/1977-what-the-president-ushuru-kenyattax-law-means-to-you

**************

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The VOK dumpsite and other environmental hazards within Mombasa County

Those of us who live in the North Coast of Mombasa and in particular the ones who are compelled to live and work around the above  mentioned dumpsite are suffering from all kinds of illnesses. 

Thanks to the County Govt. who moved the dumpsite from Kibarani, which was a real eye and nose sore and a very shameful site right at the entrance of Mombasa. It was a very unwelcome sight for ANYBODY entering Mombasa County. 

After YEARS of complaints, this questionable place was finally and 'officially' closed, but an equally questionable and horrible one is now being used as a (according to the County officials), temporary dumpsite on the main Mombasa/Malindi road. I  won't call it a highway for it is NOT. It is yet to become one...

This route is used by everyone heading to anywhere further north along the coast of Kenya. Which means that citizens, residents and tourists ply this road and suffer the same consequences that they did when the dumpsite was situated at Kibarani. The letter below is from the Nyali MP regarding this same issue. Nothing has yet been done.

There was another one written by the County to the residents promising to clear the dumpsite within a day or two, but it is now several weeks and NOTHING has been done. This was written on the 30th of  August 2018. As per below.

Unfortunately, this site is smack in the middle  of residential areas as well as businesses and therefore a health hazard. 

The County, instead of clearing it has taken to  burning this HUGE pile of mixed garbage, while at the same time preaches to residents not to burn their garbage on pain of fines and persecution. So why the double standards?

People who live around this dumpsite are suffering from respiratory ailments, etc., and all kind of pests have started to  invade their homes.

Is this County really a responsible one who cares for its citizens' well-being? Why doesn't it keep its word of clearing the dumpsite as its effects are worse than the ones felt at Kibarani? And as per our MP's letter, it seems that the Central government, is also incapable of doing anything! And business continues as usual..... 

I wonder if this email will have the required effect or impunity will continue?!

Illegal destruction of private property and possession!

Joho you have gone too far in this...justice will be done.

OPEN LETTER TO:
His Excellency the President of Kenya (President Uhuru Kenyatta)
10/3/2018

Dear Sir
FRED, JUDY MIRIGA AND FAMILY HOUSE DEMOLISHED IN MOMBASA KIZINGO BY MOMBASA COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

My family and I reside in USA. Before we went to USA we bought a house in Kizingo Mombasa where we stayed as a family from the beginning of February 1982.
When going to USA we left Tenants in different wings of the building. I send my wife Judy Miriga to Kenya to go and do some renovations and repairs on the buildings in May 2015. In the process she hired some people to clean the main house and hand over the door keys to our land agent Mr Lawrence Nyongesa who is also a Tenant at the other wing of the house after cleaning. I paid them by Western Union Money Transfer through Lawyer William Onyango Wameyo Associates of Mombasa for the work done. One of the workers by the name Ochieng Mapengo after cleaning the house went away with the door keys and came back one week later telling the Tenants that my wife Judy did not pay him Ksh. 3,000,000/= (Shillings three millions ). From that time he started harassing and terrorizing our Tenants claiming the whole plot and the buildings belonged to him. That forced me and my wife to come to Kenya to correct the situation on 14th February 2018. On the 16th February 2018 High Court of Kenya, Mombasa gave us a temporary Injunction Order signed by Judge Omollo restraining Ochieng Mapengo and all his agents from trespassing, demolishing parts of the building, destroying or cutting down trees, or in any way dealing with the suit land known as Plot No. 622 Allotment letter No. 75892/XIX pending hearing and the determination of this application for a period of 17 days. This gave him a chance for a hearing to defend himself or raise any question or objection if he was against the Court Order.
We pasted copies of the Court Orders at the main entrance gate and three more on each external doors and we hand delivered the other to our regular Tenants in the other separate rooms in the compound.
After getting the information of the pasted court orders at the premises, he came to the plot and removed and destroyed all the Court Order from the gate and doors and threw them a way and sat at the main gate waiting for us or any police to come.
On 5th March 2018 three days before the Court date of 8th March 2018 he organized with some senior Officers from Mombasa County Government who came with Lorries, the bulldozers and County Workers of about 36 people at around 6.0 p.m. and 8.0 p.m. and forcefully vacated our Tenants and immediately demolished our entire houses at the plot that very night leaving our Tenants under no roof in rain at night. That same evening at around 10.00 p.m., Abubakar Joho brother to Governor Hassani Ali Joho of Mombasa came in the compound to confirm that the house is flattened. The Mombasa Central Police refused to take action arguing that the Order was not addressed to them. To-date Ochieng Mapengo and the Abubakar Joho the elder brother of the Mombasa County Government, Governor Ali Hassan Joho has taken control of our Compound plot after flattening our house and are keeping Security Guards at the gate with Ochieng Mapengo as the supervisor to keep my agents away since we are out of the Country and no arrest or any charges can be made.
What happened is unacceptable and a very serious criminal act in nature. It is an economic sabotage and a social danger and tension to ordinary family like ours. We are therefore writing this letter appealing to your Government to take this matter seriously with immediate action and intervene to protect us from this cruel, brutal and malicious act of the oppressor so that we can recover our loses and damages to our buildings and plot.
We remain to hear from you with the most utmost urgency it deserves.
Thank you in advance
Fred, Judy, Miriga and Family.
C.C. The USA Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson

The above account was sent to me by a friend who lives in Canada and it's highly disgusting! Do we really have any laws to speak of in this country? 

And the cops are so partisan that they refused to write a report...?!

Can justice be done, please?