Maskani Ya Taifa 🇰🇪

Kenya continues to experience growing public concern over the rising cost of living, high taxation, unemployment, and increasing pressure on public resources. In this context, questions around how taxpayer money is spent across government institutions have become central to national debates on governance, accountability, and public trust. Within this environment, the ongoing legal dispute on judicial car grants and judges’ allowances (Civil Appeal No. E533 of 2024 – Salaries & Remuneration Commission v Gachuiri & 3 Others [2026] KECA 692 (KLR)) has intensified public discussion on public expenditure, constitutional oversight, and institutional accountability. The case stems from historical benefit arrangements that evolved from pre-2010 duty-free vehicle schemes into progressively increased car grants for judges, raising questions about how such benefits are determined and regulated under the Constitution. The matter has highlighted the role of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), which is constitutionally mandated to set and review remuneration for state officers. It has also raised broader concerns about institutional coordination, oversight gaps, and adherence to constitutional processes in approving public sector benefits. At the same time, the case has sparked a national conversation on judicial independence, separation of powers, and public confidence in constitutional institutions. While judicial independence remains a foundational principle of democracy, there is increasing public demand for transparency and accountability in how taxpayer-funded benefits are managed, especially in a difficult economic period. For many citizens, this issue goes beyond legal interpretation, it reflects deeper questions about national priorities. With essential services such as healthcare, education, and employment creation under strain, there is growing scrutiny over whether public spending decisions reflect the urgent needs of ordinary Kenyans. However, it is equally important that this conversation is conducted in a balanced manner that respects constitutional institutions and safeguards judicial independence, while still allowing for legitimate public scrutiny and civic engagement. The #CostOfJusticeKE campaign is a citizen-driven initiative aimed at fostering informed national dialogue on judicial benefits, public expenditure, and constitutional accountability. It seeks to empower citizens to critically engage with how public resources are allocated and to raise important questions about fairness, transparency, and governance priorities. The campaign encourages Kenyans to interrogate key issues such as: 1. How are benefits for state officers determined and reviewed? 2. Are current accountability and oversight systems effective and transparent? 3. How should Kenya balance judicial independence with public accountability? 4. What impact do such cases have on public trust in institutions? 5. How can citizens play a stronger role in shaping public expenditure decisions? This campaign is not just about judicial allowances,it is about strengthening accountability, enhancing transparency, and ensuring that public resources are used in the best interest of citizens. Join the conversation under #CostOfJusticeKE as we build a national dialogue on governance, public finance, and constitutional accountability. Together, let’s amplify citizen voices, strengthen trust in public institutions, and demand responsible use of public resources. #CostOfJusticeKE

An alarming 10,000 children are reported missing or abandoned cumulatively, yet public policy continues to move toward closing children's homes without providing a robust, well-funded alternative safety net. If the government cannot protect its most vulnerable, where is the accountability? What concrete resources are being allocated to child protection, tracking, and family reintegration? We cannot remain silent while thousands of children disappear. A budget that does not prioritize human rights and social protection is a budget that fails the nation. #BudgetAccountability #ChildProtectionKe #SocialAccountability #TISA #TheSituationRoom

In Today's Papers...

Save The Date!!! The People’s Forum is happening This Thursday at PCEA St. Andrew's Church as we bring together citizens, CSOs, youth, and stakeholders for a timely public conversation on the ongoing Judicial Benefits case and the broader questions it raises around accountability, governance, public expenditure, and taxpayer burden in Kenya. The discussion will explore the SRC–Judiciary dispute over judges’ car grants and allowances, the constitutional role of independent institutions, and the balance between judicial independence and public accountability. As Kenyans continue to face rising economic pressures and a high cost of living, this forum creates an important space for citizens and stakeholders to engage, reflect, and contribute to conversations on prudent use of public resources and constitutional governance. 📅 Date: 28th May 2026 📍 Venue: PCEA St. Andrew's Church, Nyerere Road Nairobi ⏰ Time: From 10.00 AM Join the conversation and be part of shaping accountable and people-centred governance. #CostOfJusticeKE

Kenyans need to start asking harder questions. KSh 39 MILLION of taxpayer money is reportedly still allocated every financial year toward colonial-era pension payments. That is: - Enough to employ dozens of nurses or teachers. - Enough to stock public hospitals with medicine. - Enough to fund bursaries for vulnerable students. - Enough to support struggling public universities. Yet decades after independence, Kenyans are still expected to fund opaque colonial pension schemes with little public transparency. @UKinKenya @GOVUK: Are you aware these payments are still being made in 2026? Who exactly receives this money? How many beneficiaries are still alive? Are these taxes actually reaching legitimate recipients? Where are the audits, life certificates, and public records? Kenyans are overtaxed, underpaid, and struggling to survive but somehow colonial-era payments remain protected.

The #FinanceBill2026 will affect all of us , from the cost of living, jobs, and biashara, to the future of our economy and public services. We cannot afford to stay silent while critical decisions are being made on our behalf. Public participation is not a favour from the government. It is a constitutional right and a civic duty. Now is the time to speak up. Submit your memorandum, raise your voice, and be part of shaping the Kenya we want. 📌 Legal Analysis: Lawyer Kyalo Mwaki 📌 Policy Analysis: @OkoaUchumi_KE 📌 Reference: Office of the Citizens II National Townhall on Resourcing a KSh 4.8 Trillion Budget -21.05.2026. To make the process easier, Civic Education KE has provided a simplified platform through the link below. Read. Engage. Submit. Share widely. …m-builder.financebill2026.workers.dev/?fbclid=PAZnRz… #FinanceBill2026 #PublicParticipation #OkoaUchumi #CivicEducationKE #PeoplePower #BudgetJustice

Join us for an important and timely webinar on: “Breaking the Silence, Building Community: Tackling Stigma Through Collective Wellness” 🗓 Tuesday, 26th May 2026 ⏰ 3:00 PM (EAT) 📍 Online via Zoom Stigma continues to affect mental health, wellbeing, and access to support across our communities. This conversation will bring together voices, experiences, and practical reflections on how collective care, solidarity, and community-centered approaches can help break the silence and promote wellness for all. We invite advocates, community leaders, media practitioners, young people, civil society actors, and the general public to join this critical conversation. 🔗 Register here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regist… #CollectiveWellness #MentalHealthAwareness #BreakingTheSilence #CommunityWellbeing #EndStigma #MentalHealthMatters #WellnessForAll

The Okoa Uchumi Campaign Coalition today issued a press statement to culminate the Office of the Citizen Townhall Forum, raising serious concerns over the proposed KSh 4.82 trillion FY 2026/27 national budget and the Draft Finance Bill 2026. The coalition warned that the budget reflects reckless government spending at a time when Kenyans are already grappling with collapsing healthcare services, an underfunded education sector, rising unemployment, and a deepening cost of living crisis. According to the coalition, the government’s reliance on unrealistic tax projections and excessive domestic borrowing, including KSh 1.1 trillion expected to be financed through debt, risks pushing the country further into economic distress. Okoa Uchumi noted that Kenya’s public debt, now standing at KSh 12.84 trillion, continues to crowd out private sector investment, fuel business closures, and limit job creation, leaving ordinary citizens to shoulder the burden of economic mismanagement. The coalition further criticized the Draft Finance Bill 2026 for introducing what it termed predatory taxation measures, including expanded KRA surveillance powers, aggressive tax enforcement mechanisms, and policies that disproportionately target low-income earners while wealthy and politically connected individuals continue benefiting from tax exemptions and loopholes. The statement also highlighted growing public frustration over corruption and governance failures, citing scandals surrounding substandard fuel imports, alleged manipulation within the G-to-G fuel framework, and the reported KSh 11 billion SHA fraud scandal, all unfolding as essential public services continue to deteriorate. Further concerns were raised over rising electricity costs, high fuel prices, and punitive tax proposals that the coalition says will significantly increase the cost of living, deepen poverty, worsen inequality, and accelerate unemployment across the country. In its recommendations, the coalition called for the prosecution of fuel and health cartels, the removal of intrusive and discriminatory clauses within the Finance Bill 2026, a reduction in the proposed excise duty on mobile phones, restructuring of Kenya’s debt burden, reversal of recent electricity price hikes, and scaling down of the national budget to align with realistic revenue expectations. The coalition also urged Kenyans to actively and peacefully participate in public participation processes and to continue resisting economic oppression through organized civic action anchored in constitutionalism, accountability, and social justice.

Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi! joins fellow Okoa Uchumi Coalition partners at the Office of the Citizen Townhall on the Finance Bill 2026. Today’s engagement will reflect on the trajectory of public finance over the years and why citizen action matters in shaping Kenya’s economic future. The town hall will also interrogate: 1. Ecumenical reflections on social justice, public finance, and good governance in light of the current realities in Kenya and where we derive hope as citizens. 2. Highlights of the FY 2026/27 Budget Estimates the key hits and misses, and their implications on critical social sectors, including health, education, agriculture, and social protection. As citizens, we must continue demanding transparency, accountability, and people-centered budgeting processes that prioritize dignity and economic justice for all. #FinanceBill2026 #OkoaUchumi

Legal and policy concerns emerged around public participation, transparency in budget allocations, debt sustainability, and whether the Finance Bill genuinely reflects the lived realities and priorities of wananchi. Participants further called for people-centered budgeting, equitable taxation, prudent use of public resources, and stronger oversight mechanisms to ensure accountability in the management of public finances. The plenary concluded with citizens putting forward recommendations focused on fiscal justice, transparency, protection of livelihoods, reduction of wasteful expenditure, and meaningful public engagement in shaping Kenya’s economic future. The conversation reaffirmed that budget-making and taxation are not merely technical processes, but deeply political decisions that directly affect the dignity, survival, and wellbeing of every Kenyan household. #AdultingNaTaxes #Financebill2026

The plenary session at the OFFICE OF THE CITIZEN Townhall Forum on the Finance Bill 2026/2027 created space for citizens, policy experts, activists, and community representatives to directly interrogate the realities behind Kenya’s fiscal choices. Participants raised pressing concerns on the rising public debt burden, the widening inequality gap, high taxation amid shrinking household incomes, and the continued lack of accountability in public expenditure. Citizens questioned why ordinary Kenyans continue carrying the heaviest tax burden while essential services remain inaccessible, unemployment rises, and corruption and wastage persist within government institutions. The discussions also highlighted fears around the proposed tax measures’ impact on small businesses, workers, informal traders, young people, and vulnerable communities already struggling with the high cost of living. #Financebill2026 #AdultingNaTaxes

We are kicking off the afternoon session of the Office of the Citizen Townhall Forum with a guided expert panel discussion unpacking the implications of the Finance Bill 2026, public finance accountability, inequality, and the lived realities of ordinary citizens amid rising taxation, ballooning public debt, shrinking household incomes, and the deepening cost of living crisis. The discussion will interrogate critical questions around Kenya’s fiscal direction, the burden of taxation on wananchi, transparency in the management of public resources, and whether the proposed budget priorities reflect the urgent social and economic realities facing citizens today. Panelists include Agnes Gitau, Alexander Riithi, Emily Ngolo, and Juliet Kisilu. Moderated by Angela Wangechi. The afternoon session will then transition into citizen reflections, open public engagement, and collective conversations on how the Finance Bill 2026 and budget proposals will directly affect households, workers, youth, biashara communities, farmers, informal sector traders, and public service delivery across the country. Participants will have an opportunity to share lived experiences, raise concerns, question policy priorities, and collectively examine what a people-centered, accountable, and equitable budgeting process should look like in Kenya’s current economic context. #AdultingNaTaxes #financebill2026benefits

One thing is clear: as Kenyans, we cannot continue financing public services in ways that overburden wananchi who are already struggling to survive. The challenge before us is not simply about collecting more revenue. It is about ensuring sustained, accountable, and predictable delivery of public services as the engine for growth, dignity, and development. Fellow taxpayers, the question remains: 1. What’s the plan? 2. More taxes or more debt? 3. Pesa itatoka kwa nani? Every citizen deserves a seat at the table when decisions this big are being made. Your voice matters. As a member of the Office of the Citizen, your participation and perspective matter. The Townhall is streamed live on youtube youtube.com/live/E-ZLQZmvM… and X x.com/i/broadcasts/1… #OfficeOfTheCitizen #4Point8TrillionQuestions #BudgetTownhall #PesaItatokaKwaNani

PRESS STATEMENT ALERT!! The Police Reforms Working Group and the Law Society of Kenya strongly condemn the violence witnessed during the ongoing stay-away and economic boycott protests over rising fuel costs, where at least four deaths have been reported. We are deeply concerned by: 1.Excessive use of force during public order management 2. Arbitrary arrests, detentions, and reported intimidation of police officers 3. The arrest of Nairobi Central Station Police Commander Chief Inspector Dishen Angoya after his lawful decision to release 64 protesters on police bond 4. Attempts to frame protest organisers and transport actors under “economic sabotage” charges We call on: 1. National Police Service and the Executive to exercise maximum restraint and uphold the Constitution. 2. Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to urgently investigate all killings and alleged misconduct. 3. Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to act independently and avoid abuse of prosecutorial power. 4. Immediate safeguarding of all arrested persons’ rights, including access to legal counsel, medical care, and due process. 5. Release of all detainees unless lawfully charged based on credible evidence. 6. Protection of constitutional rights to peaceful assembly, expression, and association. We reaffirm that rule of law, institutional independence, and human rights must guide public order management at all times. #RejectFuelPrices

The #RejectFuelPrices protests have taken off in Thika road, Githurai . #RejectFuelPrices

Happening now: Police clash with protesters protesting fuel price hikes in Murang'a. #RejectFuelPrices

It is disturbing to see a whole Cabinet Secretary reduce the suffering of Kenyans to mere tribal politics! Kenyans are not protesting because of tribe. They are protesting because life has become unbearable.! Fuel aside, Since 2022, Kenyans have been burdened with endless taxes and policies , Housing Levy, VAT on fuel, Eco-Levy, Mobile Money Excise Duty, Digital Content Tax, Motor Vehicle Tax and many more!... all while the cost of living continues to rise. This is not even mentioning the failed SHA rollout that has worsened healthcare and the education crisis caused by the poor implementation of CBC and the New University Funding Model! Fuel prices in Kenya have never reached the levels we are witnessing today. People are simply tired of suffering in silence. Instead of politicizing genuine public frustration, government officials should listen to wananchi and address the real crisis affecting millions of Kenyans.

Happening Now: The government is seeking to increase the cost of kerosene while lowering the cost of diesel in a bid to bridge the price gap and curb fuel adulteration. Meanwhile,looks like the fuel strike continues after talks between the government and transport sector stakeholders failed to reach an agreement. #RejectFuelPrices

Cureent situation in Nakuru CBD. Things have escalated after one protester was killed by the police. #StopPoliceBrutalityKE #RejectFuelPrices