Former Deputy President and Democracy for Citizens Party Leader, Rigathi Gachagua, has criticized the proposed 2026/27 Budget and Finance Bill 2026.
He described them as a “twin evil” that burdens ordinary Kenyans with higher taxes while directing public funds toward government excesses.
Speaking at a press conference in Nairobi on Friday, June 5, Gachagua questioned the KSh17 billion set aside for the Presidency and State House, demanding answers on what exactly that money is for.
“This is funding opulence and corruption. What does State House need KSh17 billion for? Are there schools and hospitals in State House?” he questioned.
Gachagua accused the government of openly violating Article 211 of the Constitution and Section 15(2)(C) of the Public Finance Management Act, both of which prohibit financing recurrent expenditure through borrowing.
He said the current administration borrows an average of KSh1.4 trillion annually and has very little development to show for it.
On the Finance Bill, Gachagua singled out the proposed increase in excise duty on mobile phones from 10 to 25 per cent as a measure that would hurt students, entrepreneurs, and low-income households.
He argued that phones are no longer a luxury but a lifeline for students, small business owners, and job seekers.
“Phones are essential tools for education, communication, financial services, content creation and job searching. Increasing the cost will widen the digital divide,” he said.
Gachagua stated that raising their cost would only deepen inequality.
“Increasing the cost will widen the digital divide,” he warned. “This Finance Bill is taxing Kenyans into poverty. It is a killer and a threat to the common mwananchi.”
The DCP Party Leader proposed eight remedies, among them stopping Housing Levy deductions, cutting wasteful government expenditure, prioritizing education, health and agriculture, paying pending bills owed to businesses, and restoring accountability in public spending.
He said a DCP-led government, if given an opportunity, would trim the national budget from KSh4.8 trillion down to KSh3.7 trillion, bring government borrowing to zero, and channel significantly more resources into the sectors that matter most to ordinary Kenyans like the agriculture and health sectors.
