MP Passes Finance Bill 2025, Drops Controversial Data Clause
The Finance Bill 2025 is set to proceed to President William Ruto for assent after the National Assembly passed it on Thursday.
In a decision taken on the floor of the House, lawmakers agreed to pass the Bill after considering key reports from the Finance and Planning Committee, led by Molo MP Kuria Kimani.
The MPs unanimously agreed to approve the Bill, which the government intends to use to finance its budget for the session.
However, the House dropped the clause that sought to grant the Kenya Revenue Authority access to personal and financial data, which had been the subject of contentious debate.
At the heart of the dispute was Clause 52, which proposed to repeal Section 59A(1B) of the Tax Procedures Act. This section currently protects businesses from being compelled to share their customers’ personal data with tax authorities.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi had repeatedly defended the move as a necessary step to improve tax compliance, citing the challenges of voluntary compliance and the tendency among even well-off individuals to under-declare their incomes.
