Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa has called for the rejection or radical amendment of the Finance Bill 2026, warning that its current form could trigger widespread job losses and weaken Kenya’s industrial growth.

In a press statement posted on his X account on June 18, 2026, the senator said, “Finance Bill 2026 must be rejected or amended to save Kenyan jobs,” adding that it fails to reflect the interests of workers, young people and local manufacturers.

Wa Thang’wa argued that the bill should have been structured to promote employment and industrial expansion. “This bill should have been a jobs bill. It should have been an industry bill. It should have been a youth livelihoods bill,” he stated.

However, he claimed the proposal does the opposite, describing it as harmful to local production. “It is a jobs destruction bill. It is an industry-killing bill. It is a bill that punishes local assembly, rewards importation and threatens to render our youth jobless,” he said.

The senator particularly raised concern over the treatment of locally assembled phones and electric motorbikes, saying the policy framework disadvantages domestic manufacturers while favouring imported goods.

He questioned the fairness of the tax regime, asking, “Why is the government taxing local assembly companies heavily while empowering the importation of finished goods?”

Wa Thang’wa further warned that the bill could reverse gains made in job creation and industrialisation. “If this bill passes as it is, companies will close, assembly lines will go silent, investors will withdraw and factory jobs will be lost,” he said.

He added that the policy contradicts Kenya’s industrialisation ambitions, stating, “A country cannot import its way into industrialisation. A country cannot tax its factories to death and still claim to be creating jobs.”

Calling on Members of Parliament to intervene, the senator urged either substantial amendments or complete rejection of the bill. “Reject or radically amend the Finance Bill 2026. Save Kenyan jobs. Save local assembly. Save the economy,” he said.

Wa Thang’wa maintained that his position is guided by support for workers, boda boda riders, manufacturers and young entrepreneurs across the country.