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Today, Matia Kasaija, the minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development will present a Shs 72 trillion budget for the financial year 2024-2025. Devon Ssuubi and Timothy Nsubuga went to the streets and asked the public what they would like from the budget.

Enoch Mwebazza, an IT consultant

I stopped being interested in the budget because, truth be told, the money allocated only benefits government workers that earn salaries. Their initiatives have failed year in and year out.

I know they will say that in the last financial year there has been an improvement in infrastructure such as roads and other sectors. But the truth is that all those are lies. Inflation is always affecting farmers. 

If at all they feel like they want to help, they should start on the roads. That is because, however much people don’t earn directly from having good roads, they are indirectly affected economically when the roads are in a poor state. For example, farmers cannot move their produce if the roads are bad.

Davis Atwine, a businessman

More money should be allocated to the health sector by constructing more hospitals because most of them are in a poor state, especially those in the rural areas. They should also put more drugs in them.

Shahan Owakayumbake, market vendor 

I would wish to see more money allocated to the health sector because some people get sick and get treatment abroad.  And yet most Ugandans can’t afford that kind of treatment.

Gaston Bernard Atusimire, a businessman

They should allocate most of the money towards agriculture to ensure farmers have access to agricultural inputs.

Brain Sserunjongi, researcher at EPRC

It is time more money is spent on productive sectors such as tourism, agriculture, oil and gas. Things that can be able to create jobs, especially for our youths, given the increasing crime rates on the streets and unemployment.

Secondly, I know we still have infrastructure deficits, but it would be good to strike a balance between developing infrastructure and also investing in productive sectors. We have had issues where roads have been built in areas where there is no production.

People are using those nice roads to dry cassava and maize. It is high time we promoted value addition and boost the production base. For example, in the central region, every time coffee is doing well, poverty reduces. Human development is also important. The budget should spend a lot more money on the health and education sectors.

Felister, food vendor

The government should begin with the roads because most of them are in a poor state. Just look at this Kamwokya road, full of potholes everywhere.

Then the education sector should also be considered by constructing more government-aided schools so as to help parents that find it hard to raise school fees. Lastly, I beseech the government to allocate money for traders, like maybe in our Saccos, for borrowing at low interest rates.

Ashraf, a chapatti maker

Let them reduce the taxes because various businesses have failed due to the high tax rates. They should also channel more money towards the health sector so that people can get free medical care and services. They they should also invest more money in fixing the roads.

Michael Namanya, shopkeeper

More money should be allocated to the health sector because people are dying because of poor health facilities. Also, there is a need improve the road network. This will ease the transportation of goods and also decrease the rate of accidents.

Mwambu, bodaboda rider

I think the government should allocate more money towards fixing the bad roads. Even though the government increases the taxes that it collects from the masses, most of the money should be allocated to road construction. This will enable the reduction of road accidents.  by DEVON SSUUBI & TIMOTHY NSUBUGA. The Observer

A section of Kenyans are pessimistic about the prospects of the country’s budget estimates addressing key concerns affecting the economy.

They claimed they were hoping the government would prioritize projects in agriculture, business, stalled projects, and managing foreign debt as a priority to help lift the economy and ease the burden on taxpayers.

For some, debt management should be the priority in the budget with the hope that the country will not incorporate new loans as part of the initiative to fund the budget.

Interviews with a number of residents across counties established that a majority were hoping Kenya Kwanza’s latest budget would be the economic breakthrough for the country.

In Rift Valley, traders claimed they are expecting a budget that does not pass the additional burden to an already overburdened taxpayer.

Mohamed Noor, a businessman, says that taxation has been a major problem in his business and has hampered its growth.

Noor says that he expects the government to reduce taxes to accommodate him and other traders. 

In the alternative, Noor wants the government to put in measures that will ensure conducting business within Nakuru will be possible and free of frustrations, corruption, and an unconducive environment.

Kericho branch executive of the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), Mary Rotich, hopes the government will allocate sufficient funds for the hiring of teachers.

“Most schools are still understaffed, and the government has the responsibility of hiring teachers to address the teacher shortage in public schools across the country,” she stated.

In Western and Nyanza, however, anxiety has gripped traders ahead of the tabling of the country’s budget estimates for the year 2024/2025 today.

In Busia, traders interviewed at Busia Soko Posta said they fear that proposed levies by the Kenya Kwanza administration could render them insolvent.

Wilmina Nafula, a vegetable vendor at the market has urged the government to reduce levies imposed on small and medium businesses to keep them afloat.

“Taxes imposed on small businesses are not realistic and could end up killing them contrary to what small traders and boda boda operators were promised during campaigns in 2022,” said Nafula.

Erick Ouma, the chairman of boda boda operators in Busia said that the cost of fuel may throw some of them out of business.

He said the budget must take into account the cost of fuel, which has contributed to the high cost of living.

“We fear that some of our members could be unable to continue operating due to projected increased fuel prices,” said Ouma.

In the North Rift region, agricultural producers expect budget estimates that will lower production costs and boost agribusiness.

Thomas Boen, a large-scale farmer from Uasin Gishu County said he expects Treasury CS Professor Njuguna Ndung’u to set budget allocations for the purchase of current season maize harvests.

Rift Valley Law Society of Kenya Chair Aston Muchela says he expects the 2024 budget to be clear on how the government is planning to clear the high level of debt we owe foreign countries.

He says he wants the government to tell Kenyans if they intend to take more loans to run Kenya or the heavy taxing will take care of all the budget including the debt.

“The government cannot overtax Kenyans and at the same time continue borrowing to run the country. It should be very clear the step they are taking,” says Muchela.

Tom Nyagechanga, a Kenya National Farmers Federation (Kenaff), Commodity representative in Trans Nzoia said the continued high cost of fuel and basic commodities continues to subject citizens to suffering, saying parliamentarians should have considered making amendments to reduce hefty taxes.

Joseph Sang, a farmer from Chepkanga in Uasin Gishu County said he expects the budget estimates that will enable expansion of the agricultural subsidy program.

“The government has funded fertilizer subsidy well. There is a need to expand the program to enable farmers to access subsidized seeds and agrochemicals to address the skyrocketing cost of food production,” said Sang.

In West Pokot, residents are eagerly waiting to hear decisions that will shape their economic and social landscape. They anticipate increased development, improved infrastructure, and enhanced social services, with the budget estimates expected to be delivered tomorrow.

“Our children deserve quality education and we hope the budget will prioritize investments in schools and educational resources since we are a marginalized county,” stated Mary Chepurai.

Infrastructure development, particularly road construction and maintenance, remains a pressing issue for residents of West Pokot.

In the Mount Kenya region, residents claimed they were hoping the government will prioritize the revival of the coffee industry.

[Report by Daniel Chege, Nikko Tanui, Jesse Sikali, Mary Imenza, Titus Too, Irisheel Shanzu, Clinton Ambujo and Lydia Nyawira] The Standard

A Russian television station has won a court order for the seizure of Google’s assets in South Africa over the global tech giant’s failure to reinstate the Moscow-based entity’s YouTube channel.

News24 wrote on June 11 that South Africa’s Gauteng division of the High Court allowed for the attachment of Google’s shares and trademarks held in Africa’s most developed nation.

Zané Hartman, director of Johannesburg-based Pagel Schulenburg Attorneys, which is representing the Russian network, No Fond Pravoslavnogo Televideniya (NFPT), Business Report wrote on June 12, said a high court application was also served electronically on Google LLC in California, US, last week.

“The main application against Google LLC is for the conversion of the foreign civil judgment confirmed by the Ninth Arbitrazh Court of Appeal in Russia,” Hartman said.

“The Russian civil judgment is two-fold: Firstly, it orders the reinstatement of the YouTube channel belonging to the Russian NPO. Secondly, it imposes astreinte [a monetary penalty for failure to reinstate the channel].  What the main application seeks to achieve, is to obtain a court order in South Africa that enforces the Russian judgment here, specifically the astreinte that is being imposed on Google LLC.”

The firm said this would mean that the Russian not-for-profit organisation, whose name translates to The Foundation for Orthodox Television, was entitled to execute the judgment against Google LLC within South African borders in all the ways provided for in terms of the law, meaning a sales in execution of Google LLC’s assets.

Pagel Schulenburg Attorneys represents NFPT, which operates a Russian media company known as “Spas” in its application against the Alphabet Group, of which Google is a wholly-owned subsidiary.  The European Union sanctioned the radio station in December 2023.

The matter dates back to March 2023 when an award was made by the Moscow Arbitrazh Court against Google LLC, ordering the reinstatement of Russian channel’s YouTube Channel, and imposing astreinte.  Google appealed three months later but lost the case leading to NFPT launching the ex parte application in South Africa in December2023 seeking an order allowing edictal citation and substituted service, Hartman said.

“In March of this year, the order in terms of the ex parte application was granted, which led to the main application being served electronically on Google LLC and the assets of Google LLC being attached by the sheriff at Google’s South African premises.”

The main application against Google LLC, Pagel said, was for the conversion of the foreign civil judgment confirmed by the Ninth Arbitrazh Court of Appeal in Russia.  If the application succeeds, the Russian entity will be entitled to execute the judgment against Google LLC in South Africa.

Reached for comment by Business Report, Google said they were still taking legal advice. By Thulani Mpofu, BNE-Intellinews