National Assembly Finance Committee Chair Kuria Kimani has firmly rejected circulating reports suggesting the introduction of a tax on newborns in the upcoming Finance Bill 2025. Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday, April 9, Kimani clarified that the Finance Bill has not yet been presented to Parliament.
The MP criticized what he termed as deliberate misinformation being spread to incite public outrage, urging Kenyans to disregard such claims.
“For the last three days, ‘Reject Finance Bill 2025’ has been trending on X, and I found myself wondering whether I was still the Finance Chair—because I haven’t even seen the bill,” Kimani said. “People are spreading all kinds of falsehoods, including claims of a newborn tax, which are completely unfounded.”
He went further to state that if such a proposal were ever included in the bill, he would personally oppose it.
Kimani also appealed for restraint when addressing sensitive issues such as taxation, citing personal consequences he faced following the passage of the Finance Bill 2024.
“I had to live away from my home for fear of being attacked. My property was destroyed because of misinformation spread by seemingly credible individuals—even scholars,” he revealed.
On the same matter, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi also confirmed that the Finance Bill 2025 is still under review. He noted that consultations with stakeholders are ongoing, and no official draft has been finalized or made public.
As discussions around the next Finance Bill continue, both leaders emphasized the importance of factual engagement and responsible discourse.
