Honourable Didmus Barasa, a member of the National Assembly representing the United Democratic Alliance, expressed opposition to the recently approved increases in fees for several services provided by Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki’s Ministry of Interior and National Administration.
Barasa was specifically against the increased fees Kenyans will now need to pay to register marriage certificates.
” The fact that people become dishonest when they have money and power is, to put it mildly, retrogressive. Wearing the priciest designer shoes, eating taxes with a big spoon, and vomiting leftovers on bare-foot Kenyans, these characters exude a power-hungry demeanour! I am getting angry because this is going in the wrong direction!”
” It hurts for Wananchi! The authorities need to pay attention! For instance, a marriage license has easily increased from thirty thousand to one hundred thousand! Is this thing on? Why subjugate the populace?” on November 8, 2023, questioned Hon. Barasa.
The Interior Ministry announced the fee increases—some up to five times the initial amount—in a Gazette Notice on November 7, 2023, in an attempt to generate government revenue for funding development projects and repaying foreign loans.
Not only will the cost of registering marriage certificates increase, but Kenyans will now need to spend more money to obtain passports and IDs.
Diplomatic passports now cost Sh 15,000, up from Sh 7,500, and 34-page regular passports now cost Sh 7,500, up from Sh 4,500. Both the 50-page and the 66-page passports have increased in price; the former costs Sh 6,000 and Sh 7,500, respectively.
A person who is not registered for ID will have to pay Sh 1,000 after the initial free registration to receive the identity cards. A cardholder will now need to pay Sh 2,000 instead of Sh 100 to obtain a replacement, and Sh 1,000 will now be required to update any card information.
The cost of identity reports has increased from Sh 300 to Sh 1,000, and the cost of civil servant cards has increased from Sh 100 to Sh 1,000.
The second Kenya Kwanza ally of President William Ruto, Honorable Barasa, is grumbling about the high taxes the current government is imposing on Kenyans.
With each tax bill, President Ruto seems to be going overboard, raising rates or enacting new ones on Kenyan citizens.
Parliamentarian Gathoni Wa Muchomba of Githunguri, who is against Ruto’s high taxes on Kenyans, vowed she was prepared to lose her seat.
“Rumors are circulating that I work for Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party as a mole,” Wamchomba said.
“It is not me. All I am doing is siding with the truth. However, I am prepared for any outcome that this involvement may bring. I am prepared whether they kick me out of the party or force me to run in a by-election.
President Ruto was also criticized by her for his treatment of the impoverished rather than taxing the wealthy.
