By Lisa Vives

In a lengthy statement, members of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops are warning against passage of the 2024 finance bill, which if passed, they say, would hurt the vast majority of the country’s poor.

The bishops criticized the proposed slew of new taxes, calling them “punitive” because they would mostly affect the poorest people of Kenyan society.

“Given the current economic challenges, it is our opinion that the proposed punitive taxes are likely to devastate the economy and impoverish the majority of Kenyans,” the bishops said in a June 7 statement.

“We therefore urge the government to establish a tax regime that is predictable and conducive to economic growth, rather than one that stifles the private sector and overburdens the poor and vulnerable.”

The bill aims to broaden the tax base and boost........

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