There is a new warning from Auditor General Nancy Gathungu about the Finance Bill 2026. According to the good madam, four proposals inside that Bill might end up messing President William Ruto's Bottom Up agenda. You know that agenda is all about helping the common mwananchi from the bottom going up, but these proposals could turn things upside down.
The first proposal is tax exemptions for imported pharmaceuticals. That means drugs coming from outside will not be taxed. Second, there is VAT exemption on mobile phones that are assembled here locally.
Third, the government wants to expand tax reliefs for start ups. And fourth, companies in Special Economic Zones will bring goods without paying any duty. On paper, all these sound like good news, right? But Gathungu says be careful.
She explains that if these proposals pass, the government will lose a lot of money. Less revenue coming in means less money for public services like hospitals, schools, roads, and even the famous hustler fund.
So while a few people might enjoy cheaper phones or medicines, the bigger picture is that services for ordinary Kenyans will suffer. The Auditor General is worried that this could completely derail the Bottom Up agenda because that agenda depends on steady government cash to lift the poor.
Of course, many Kenyans are now scratching their heads. Some are asking, "If we remove taxes on local phones, won't that help our own industries?" Others are saying, "Startups need relief, that is how jobs are created." But Gathungu's point is clear: you cannot eat your cake and have it. Every tax break must be balanced somewhere else, otherwise the budget falls apart.
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