Written by Faith Mwende
COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has called on the government to ease the financial pressure on Kenyan workers by recalculating salary deductions based only on basic pay.
Speaking at the Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, Atwoli appealed directly to President William Ruto, saying it was unfair to deduct statutory payments from workers’ gross pay, which includes overtime, bonuses, and allowances.
He argued that income earned through additional effort should be protected from taxation, as taxing the full gross salary discourages hard work and leaves workers with little to take home.
Atwoli pointed out that current deductions, including the Housing Levy and the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF), have further eroded workers’ earnings, making it difficult for them to support their families or improve their livelihoods.
Atwoli stressed that President Ruto’s intervention would be key in ensuring that reforms are made to protect workers from being overtaxed. He said many employees were being unfairly punished for working extra hours, only to see their paychecks drained by deductions.
He also raised concerns about the growing trend of outsourcing labour, warning that it could hurt the country’s tax collection efforts if outsourced workers aren’t subjected to the same statutory deductions as regular employees.
He urged the government to create policies that ensure fairness and consistency for all workers, regardless of employment type.
Referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s focus on self-reliance and local manufacturing, Atwoli challenged Kenya to adopt similar policies to become more economically independent.
He wrapped up his speech by encouraging Kenyans to approach national issues with patriotism, cautioning against baseless attacks on the government and calling for responsible dialogue rooted in love for the country.
