President William Ruto has affirmed that all Kenyans must pay taxes irrespective of their social status.
In a direct message to the opposition under Raila Odinga's leadership, the president said no amount of resistance including the holding of rallies will change his stand on the directive.
"Even if they sponsor demonstrations so that they don't pay taxes, I want to promise them, they will pay tax. There is no more exception," Ruto said.
The President has accused Raila and his allies in the Azimio camp of resorting to demonstrations in a bid to avoid paying taxes.
He said those who used to exempt themselves from paying taxes using government instruments are sponsoring the demonstrations.
The president, however, said no amount of intimidation was going to force the government to exempt a section of elites from paying taxes.
"This country is not the animal farm where some are more equal than others. We are going to have a society where every citizen carries a fair share of our burden to raise their taxes," Ruto said.
He spoke on Monday while addressing the National Assembly Post-Election Seminar in Mombasa county.
Ruto said his insistence on Kenyans to pay taxes is not on new taxes but on those that have been in existence and ratified by the law.
On January 23, Raila held a rally at the Kamukunji grounds where he spelt out eight declarations including that he does not recognise Ruto as President.
He also called on Kenyans to reject what he termed as punitive taxes that have been introduced by the Kenya Kwanza regime.
But while speaking at a funeral in Murang'a, Ruto told off Raila and asked him to try a different strategy.
The President said he will not be blackmailed into going off the government agenda on payment of taxes.
"Look for a different person to threaten. I was elected by Kenyans in broad daylight," Ruto said.
"For you, you had the system, the deep state and the government, but we defeated you,” he affirmed.
