Donation Amount. Min £2

East Africa

By JULIUS MBALUTO 

The Kenya Budget for the financial year 2024/25 was presented on Thursday by the Finance Mister Njuguna Ndung'u. The key highlights of the budget was the budget deficit seen at 3.3% of GDP in 2024/25, economic growth projected at 5.5% and lastly outcry of over taxation measures accompanying the budget.

Prior to the budget, Kenyans had organized to oppose the Finance Bill 2024 on social media. Majority of MPs had to switch off their phones to avoid thousands of calls and texts demanding that they reject Finance Bill 2024 and urging them to vote "No".

MPs telephone numbers had been leaked online on X platform by a user knowns as Amerix who also urged Kenyans to load their phones with enough bundles and calls or text their MPs. Slogans used were, "I'm not a citizen of IMF" and Respect my hustle. It went on telling Kenyans to tell their MPs to reject Finance Bill 2024. 

Kenyans were sending MPs little money to confirm whether those were actual numbers. This was a social media riot. Some MPs have said it isn't the entire Finance Bill 2024 which is wrong but it will be worth to debate and if need be rewrite it and remove the things that seems to upset Kenyans. For example, Kenyans don't want to be taxed any further  than they already are. 

Kenyans want proposals like Exercise tax on bread, the eco-levy on diapers and sanitary pads and Motor vehicle circulation tax removed. Some MPs have said there shouldn't be any further taxation on Kenyans but instead, government should cut on wastage and tackle corruption. There are several businesses which have threatened to leave Kenya because of heavy taxation.

Manufacturers in Kenya have threatened to leave Kenya for Tanzania if heavy taxation is not stopped. Cooking has been also heavily taxed. Manufacturers have told the government that it should check the morality of taxation food. 

 

 By TRACY LAWAL  
 
Tanzanian Finance Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba presented his government budget of Tshs 49.35 tri for 2024/2025 in the National Assembly. This is the third President Samia Sululu budget since she became president in March 2021. 
 
The Finance Minister highlighted the great achievements recorded in the implementation of previous budget giving optimism for the future. Focusing on the national Development, the Finance Minister explained. 

"For the year 2024/25, the government expects to mobilise and spend a total of Tshs 49.35tri/-, equivalent to an increase of 11.2 per cent compared to the 2023/24 budget,"

Dr Nchemba shared that the revenue is projected to be Tshs 34.61 tri which is abut 70.1 percent of the total budget and 15.7 per cent of the GDP. The Tanzania Revenue Authority(TRA) has been tasked to collect Tshs 29.41 tri.  Tshs 3.84 tri will be non-tax revenue to be collected by ministries, agencies and independent departments. Tanzania Government expects to collect Tshs 5.13 tri from Development Partners as grants and concessional loans. The government will also borrow Tshs 2.99tri from external commercial sources to finance development projects. 

The budget is set to finance wage bill, government debt, local government election and preparation for 2025 general election. To achieve the aims of the budget, Dr Nchemba the use of National e-Procurement System of Tanzania(NeST) in all procurements of all goods, services and contracts. He warned against the misuse of public funds.

"I warn those who misuse public funds, to stop that habit immediately! Those who will be liable, legal action will be taken against them," swore the minister.

 

Speaker Anita Among has asked parents and cultural leaders to put an end to teenage pregnancies and child marriages saying the vice is encouraged by the unfortunate practice of viewing girls as a commodity.

Launching the Parliamentary Forum to end Child Marriages and Teenage Pregnancies where she was named its patron, Speaker Among sounded a call to action to parents and cultural leaders, who she said carry the magic wand to end the scourge of teenage pregnancies and early marriages.

Using her own example as someone who almost fall prey to the practice, Among said the girls, too, should put up a fight and not easily give in to early marriages.


“The issue of eliminating teenage pregnancies is a reality.  I happened to be a victim of this particular practice; the challenge is that the moment a parent sees a girl developing breasts, they say she is ready for marriage,” she said adding that, ’I was going to Primary Seven when I almost got forced into a marriage; I took off from home, went and became a house girl, stayed in some other people’s homes and managed to pay for my own education’.  

She blamed poor parenting for the increase in the vice and offered her support to the forum in creating awareness to end the practice and put the girls to school.
“One of the causes of early marriages and child pregnancy is an issue of parenting, but it also comes back to you, what do you want in life? You can be taken through all that but the resilience to move on is very important,” she added.


The Speaker thanked the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and development partners for supporting efforts to eradicate the practice saying it is time to take the fight to parents and cultural leaders, who should end practices that encourage the vice.

Hon. Ronald Olema Afidra (NRM, Lower Madi County) who is the Chairperson of the forum said society should not give up on the victims but still extend to them an opportunity to go back to school.
“Let us give them [the girls] the opportunity to go back to school where they can; we need the girls growing up to be girls, not to prematurely become mothers,” he said.

Ms Laura Criado Lafuente who represented the UFPA Country Representative pledged support to the new forum saying their intervention will be evidence-based, using demographic statistics to mount a laser-focused challenge against teenage pregnancies and marriages. By Johnson Ategeka, The Tower Post

 
US-based Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) FILE Copied to clipboard

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Wednesday, June 12, revealed a partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) to assist in repatriating proceeds of corruption stashed abroad.

EACC revealed this development following a meeting held on Tuesday with the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray who has been in the country since June 8. 

It was further revealed that both entities had forged a partnership where the FBI is expected to enhance its support to EACC through training and acquisition of modern investigative tools and equipment.

Following Tuesday’s meeting, the FBI and the EACC will also be leveraging the exchange of information to support the tracing and recovery of corruptly acquired assets stashed abroad.

 

EACC

Additionally, the EACC elaborated that the commission will be targeting high-impact cases to pursue any unexplained wealth.

“Today marks a major milestone as we seek to deepen our partnership and explore areas of cooperation. With technical support from the FBI, the Commission will have a greater impact in investigating high-impact cases and robustly pursue recovery of corruptly acquired assets and unexplained wealth,” said EACC CEO, Twalib Mbarak. 

On the other hand, the FBI director enforced the FBI’s commitment to partnering with Kenya.

“I had a productive meeting with EACC CEO Mbarak and his team at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission about their important work combating corruption and promoting accountability,” stated FBI Director Wray.

“The FBI will continue to look for ways to strengthen our partnership and support EACC efforts to safeguard the rule of law and ensure public confidence in institutions,” he added.

Further, the EACC noted that the FBI had already been involved in various specialised trainings with the EACC investigators especially related to financial and economic crimes. 

According to the commission, the FBI had successfully trained EACC investigators on undercover operations, tradecraft and modern techniques in the investigation of complex financial, and economic crimes, corruption cases and recovery of corruptly acquired and unexplained wealth.

The EACC and FBI partnership will not be the first to be witnessed between the US-based entity with Kenya.

In 2020, the FBI  partnered with Kenya in creating the first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which was the first to be located outside of the United States. By Helen Njoroge, kenyans.co.ke

About IEA Media Ltd

Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.

To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.

We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.

Get in touch

Our Offices

London, UK
+44 7886 544135
editor (@) informereastafrica.com
Slough, UK
+44 7957 636854
info (@) informereastafrica.com

Latest News

Welfare bill: Starmer wins crunch benefits vote after 'capitulating' over major PIP cuts - as it happened

Welfare bill: Starme...

The government shelved a key part of its controversial Universal Credit and Personal Independence P...

Empowering men through financial literacy: strategies for a secure future

Empowering men throu...

Explore the financial pressures faced by men and discover six practical strategies to enhance finan...

Family wants police to probe death of kin in custody

Family wants police...

The family of a 29-year-old fisherman who died in police custody in Homa Bay County wants further i...

Uganda Tourism Board has a New Heineken-inspired CEO ready to Break Traditional Barriers

Uganda Tourism Board...

Juliana Kagwa takes the helm as CEO of the Uganda Tourism Board. She has been recognized for breaki...

For Advertisement

Big Reach

Informer East Africa is one platform for all people. It is a platform where you find so many professionals under one umbrella serving the African communities together.

Very Flexible

We exist to inform you, hear from you and connect you with what is happening around you. We do this professionally and timely as we endeavour to capture all that you should never miss. Informer East Africa is simply news for right now and the future.

Quality News

We only bring to you news that is verified, checked and follows strict journalistic guidelines and standards. We believe in 1. Objective coverage, 2. Impartiality and 3. Fair play.

Banner & Video Ads

A banner & video advertisement from our sponsors will show up every once in a while. It keeps us and our writers coffee replenished.