As U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said at the Summit of the Future last week, global governance and financial systems “reflect a bygone era,” and they are in urgent need of reform. For those of us living in Kenya, such reform cannot come soon enough.
Kenya has been in the news for its recent protests, where more than 60 people lost their lives. Although complex, these demonstrations were largely sparked by the International Monetary Fund’s pressure on the Kenyan government to pass a new finance bill that imposed taxes on essential goods such as bread, agricultural inputs, fuel, and sanitary pads.
These painful austerity measures and regressive taxes were required for Kenya to qualify for a $2.7 billion loan from the IMF. While the general public are struggling to pay for basic items, the government introduced a tax exemption for the importation of aircrafts, including helicopters and spare parts.
About the author
Jack Odiwa
Jack Odiwa is a seasoned policy advocacy and campaigns leader with more than eight years’ experience in Africa. He is currently the Africa advocacy adviser at Christian Aid. He has previously worked in similar regional advocacy roles within INGOs, including Mercy Corps, ActionAid, and Plan International. Jack is also currently a national chairperson of Kenya's Socio-Economic and Financial Inclusion Sector Working Group, which is a platform that convenes diverse stakeholders and policy makers.
