On this column, we estimated the discourse leading up to the realisation of the Financial Act, 2023, to be similar to a referendum in how it has gripped the minds of Kenyans.
The opposition led by Raila Odinga are keen to rise to the occasion but basically to poison the chalice and make life difficult for the Kenya Kwanza regime. Two days ago, in a resumption of defiance gatherings, they called on Kenyans to disobey the system by absconding our tax duties and start nationwide demonstrations against an ‘oppressive’ government.
While Raila and team have to try harder in the battle for the minds of Kenyans, it is indeed the ruling coalition that cannot not be the more proactive in take advantage of all opportunities to wrest control of the dialogue. Undoubtedly, being portrayed and viewed as an insensitive government can heap grave pressure on the current government.
Kenya Kwanza has great cogency and persuasiveness in private political communication see how well they plan and execute their political agendas as the process of installing the new finance act demonstrated, with over 95 per cent of their legislators sanctioning it.
The President is a political leader renown for great private political mobilization and organization. This level of compliance or partnership within Kenya Kwanza itself is likely to be a hallmark of Ruto’s governance.
Nevertheless, the heftiest task that Kenya Kwanza has at hand is obtaining compliance from the masses who are a society that is apathetic to paying tax because of a myriad of factors, so drawing from as far back as the colonial era.
Taxation in Kenya, especially the introduction of new ones, is viewed by many a form of oppression or insensitiveness and there has always been a collective dislike for the word. Successfully pushing the bill, which the president wasted no time signing into law, was epic for Kenya Kwanza, but winning the masses over is herculean.
The aversion to taxes means that a powerful intervention is required to compel behavioural change. First of all, the people need to fully understand what paying taxes means. The people need to understand better the role the government plays on making certain services available.
The opaqueness of government operations since independence is something the people of Kenya have always been sensationalised about by people seeking power. Partly, it has been easy to turn the people against a government in place being of inadequate or undedicated communication.
Many Kenyans are beneficiaries of public goods like roads, for example, but few might be knowing how expensive the facilities are. Running an open government that quickly comes down hard on corruption might be able to build confidence among the people.
Kenyans are well aware of the many scandals of corruption proven to have been carried out by politicians and individuals linked to former governments and this also increases the indifference towards paying tax. There is no way that president Ruto will gain public support for his government if he will not sustain the war on graft.
Some of the ruling party’s approaches might boomerang badly if not buffered with sound thinking and projections. When new taxes are introduced, would it not be better if the government is seen to make the modest best of what is put into its hands?
It cannot continue to be viewed as always looking to swoop for more of the little the people have, and the people would definitely warm up seeing austerity measures effected in government processes. This can also encourage people to pay their tax to the government.
At the very onset, it appeared that the new regime was going to take firm action to ensure corporate tax evaders began to comply. Even as the government endeavours to widen the tax net, it would be encouraging for the people to see big corporations who have not been paying tax or have not been in full compliance brought to book. People involved in big business like massive importers should also be seen to conform.
Is there a way the government could control the spiralling of prices for basic products and services? It is a free market economy, but the conniving of sellers of products always leads to high pricing so that there is mostly rises and no falls in the prices of products.
Maybe the government can go deeper and see what can be done to deal with the exploitation of the masses by cartels. This may require it going out of its way to ensure the people are protected and not exposed to crude market undertakings. To encourage tax payers, such initiatives by the government need to be publicised accordingly.
One prominent policy by the government is to move away from subsidising anything unrelated to production. It might be good for the people to be educated about the meaning of this in very simple terms so that then they can decipher and have their hearts mellow to the new government approach.
A positive thing is that many of county governments have upped the ante in revenue collection even as the Kenya Revenue Authority is spreading its wings. The story needs be told better of how paramount it is to pay tax. At the centre of this is the media.
The relationship between Kenya Kwanza and the media is one where not much love appears to be lost in between. While ownership might have an impact sometimes on the political inclination of some media, something which should be anathema, Kenya Kwanza will do better to find ways of bringing the media aboard the policy and development agenda.
It is precarious for the government to have a sour relationship with media whereas a great relationship will help greatly to channel curated messaging towards improving tax revenue fortunes by bringing the people aboard.
While there are services the government will procure from the media, there is a lot to be gained from a smooth partnership and the tax at hand for the government is humongous.
Social media, though unique empowering platforms for the individual citizen, they largely a conveyor belts of negativity and sensationalism. The mainstream media are able to influence debate on social media by providing sensible content that turns the minds of the Kenyan citizen.
President Ruto and his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua are strong communicators, but it will become more and more important to improve the optics so that they can appear as kind to the people, friendlier, and not detached or always on the defensive.
It is equally important to appear gentle as it is to appear in control, and they cannot appear always argumentative articulating every important matter that concerns the government. Azimio might not be as much of a threat to Kenya Kwanza as is their own political expediency if they do not wage a persuasive battle for the minds of Kenyans.
