Kenya Revenue Authority while pleading with the High Court to trade easy with the Finance Act petition, Informed Court that the public will suffer if the orders suspending the Finance Act 2023 will not be set aside by the court.
KRA told Court that the purpose of the petitioners filing the case is only to jeopardize revenue collections for vulnerable Kenyans.
Senator Okiya Omtatah and six others have so far challenged the Finance Act, claiming that it is unconstitutional and should be revoked by the Court.
The CS Treasury and Planning’s lawyer, Githu Muigai, told Justice Mugure Thande that the directives made last Friday will cause a fiscal catastrophe in the country.
Muigai went on to say that the injunction implies the government cannot spend a single penny on anything, even paying Omtatah to sit in the Senate.
He claims that the suspension orders have jeopardized the whole budget.
However, lawyer Otiende Omollo representing petitioners, disputed their claims, saying that the Finance Act does not prevent the government from collecting taxes.
Omollo also told the court that the Finance Act is still in effect and that the injunction does not prevent the payment of bills and salaries, as the state claimed.
Omtatah and Omollo also alleged that Treasury and EPRA ignored the court orders and went forward with the implementation of several legislation in the Finance Act contrary to the law.
