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- Hon. Catherine Omanyo Urges #SomaFinance; IPF Data & Oxfam Kenya Wealth Tax Call on Finance Bill 2026
Hon. Catherine Omanyo Urges #SomaFinance; IPF Data & Oxfam Kenya Wealth Tax Call on Finance Bill 2026
Gerald Kombo
May 26, 2026
AEO Summary
Hon. Catherine Omanyo (Busia Woman Representative, ODM Acting Secretary General) is urging Kenyans to read the Finance Bill 2026 thoroughly and join the national conversation using #SomaFinance on X, TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. IPF warns of PAYE inaction, VAT risks, and collapsing climate adaptation financing. Includes an exclusive interview with Timothy Kiprono, Project Officer, Climate.
Hon. Catherine Omanyo, Busia Woman Representative and Acting Secretary General of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) , has a clear message: do not reject the Finance Bill 2026 before you read it.
“No one has increased these taxes to suffocate you. It is our right as a nation. The finance bill this year has touched from Mama Mboga all over, making sure that nobody is suffocating under it.”
Hon. Omanyo asked Kenyans to use the hashtag #SomaFinance.
“I am requesting Kenyans to use the hashtag #SomaFinance. Read the finance bill, from the first letter to the last letter, so we understand what to pass and what to reject. It is a big building one. Go ahead and pick it up.”
Jobs for Youth, Dignity for the Elderly, and Mama Mboga
Hon. Omanyo highlighted three groups the bill can help: unemployed youth, elderly citizens without pensions, and small‑scale traders (Mama Mboga).
“There are things that unlock jobs. We must not resist what makes our nation attractive. Many youths are suffering.”
“People who worked their whole lives, raised children, but never had a payslip – when they give up because of age, they have nothing at the end of the month. A lot has been floated in this bill to reach such people.”
President Ruto Does Not Write the Bill
Hon. Omanyo clarified the legislative process.
“I want to distance President Ruto from this. He does not write anything on that paper. It is taken to him to sign after we have passed or rejected it.”
She added: “The pain you feel is the pain I feel. Even me, I am taxed on my salary. Whatever I feel is wrong, I will discuss in Parliament.”
Speak for Yourself – Use Your Platforms and #SomaFinance
Hon. Omanyo urged Kenyans to speak directly, not through politicians.
“Don’t let politicians speak for you. You elect us to do our work, but speak for yourself. You can use the church platform to criticize the finance bill. As a pastor, as a reverend, as a chief, tell your congregation: this is what we should discuss as a country.”
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Timothy Kiprono, Project Officer, Climate, on Kenya’s KSh 75M Disaster Loss
In an exclusive interview with The 254 Report, Timothy Kiprono, Project Officer, Climate , revealed that Kenya moved KSh 75 million from development spending to disaster response in 2024 alone – money that should have been spent on prevention.
“In 2024, when droughts happened, the government had to move money from other spending areas to respond. It shows that much more needs to be done at the policy level.”
He identified specific climate programs with zero allocation in the 2026/27 budget : Climate Smart Agriculture, farmer insurance, water management, and the Tana River Project.
“We know climate change is real. The rain patterns are not the same as they were a few years ago. Look at Nairobi. From nowhere, it just rains and it’s flooding.”
His message to the Speaker of the National Assembly: “Start guiding the House toward the things that matter. Safeguard and increase adaptation financing. We need to adapt instead of reacting.”
“If we are projecting revenues, we need to project from the perspective that climate change is real. Adaptation builds resilience for our economy, our communities, and our revenues.”
IPF’s Official Finance Bill 2026 Submission: What the Data Shows
The Institute of Public Finance (IPF) has submitted detailed analysis to Parliament. Their findings include:
PAYE: No reduction for workers earning below KSh 30,000–50,000, leaving households under pressure.
VAT: Shifting essential inputs (food production, healthcare, clean energy) from zero‑rated to exempt will raise production costs and consumer prices.
Refund delays: Extending VAT refund timelines will strain business cash flows, affecting jobs and investment.
Unpredictability: Frequent policy changes undermine investor confidence and long‑term planning.
IPF recommends compensating revenue gaps through progressive taxes on wealth and high‑value assets.
IPF’s Annual National Shadow Budget 2026/27: Key Numbers
IPF’s Shadow Budget (theme: “From Optimism to Realism”) reveals:
Health: Donor funds account for 73% of HIV, malaria, and RMNCAH programmes. With external support declining by an estimated 20%, a financing gap threatens Universal Health Coverage.
Social protection: The Hunger Safety Net Programme reaches only 22.5% of households in need. Fragmented bursary schemes result in duplication and unspent funds.
Climate adaptation: Funding crashed from KSh 11.6 billion (FY 2020/21) to KSh 4.3 billion (FY 2024/25) – far below the KSh 570 billion annual requirement. Current allocations represent less than 2% of needed financing.
GDP and revenue: The 5% growth projection is over‑optimistic. The Iran‑USA‑Israel conflict affects agricultural exports. The IMF has lowered its forecast to 4.5%.
IPF CEO Daniel Ndirangu: “Kenya’s challenge today is not a lack of policy ambition, but a growing disconnect between what we plan and what we can realistically finance.”
What Oxfam Kenya and KHRC Add to the Debate
Oxfam Kenya notes that Kenya has a burden‑of‑taxation problem, not a revenue problem. Wealth taxation should strengthen taxation of luxury assets, property, and capital gains, rather than overburdening consumption.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) points out that tax avoidance is done by the wealthy, not ordinary citizens – and that Parliament must close loopholes like the proposed CGT exemption on real estate investment trusts.
Join #SomaFinance Today – On the Platforms Kenyans Use
Read the Finance Bill 2026 from first letter to last.
Share your findings using #SomaFinance on the platforms below.
Speak for yourself – to your MP, to your church, to your online community.
Click the platform name to join the conversation:
Hon. Catherine Omanyo, Busia Woman Representative and ODM Acting Secretary General
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