Editor's Review

Rigathi said it would be irrational to help the farmers with input subsidies and on the other hand exploit them with taxes.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua now says the taxes imposed on the Kenyan farmers were misguided.

In January this year, a withholding tax of not more than 5% on farm produce was proposed through the Medium-term Revenue Strategy by the National Treasury.

This would see farmers contribute to the government's initiative to raise more revenue.

For every Sh 100 made in sales, a farmer would remit Sh 5 to the taxman.

However, speaking in Embu on Friday, March 1, during the county's Livestock, Dairy and Fisheries Exhibition, the deputy president admitted that the tax proposition would exploit the farmers.

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According to him, it was unreasonable to fight for the welfare of the local farmers and at the same time deprive them of their profits through taxes.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua accompanied by other leaders to a stand during the Embu County Livestock, Dairy and Fisheries Exhibition.

"On this tax issue, we saw some mistakes in it...It cannot help the farmer, and on the other hand, exploit them. Our government values farmers and listens to them," said Rigathi.

To right the wrong, the deputy president said he had engaged President William Ruto and the National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Njuguna Ndung'u to review the proposition. 

He promised that the lawmakers would be engaged in the matter for purposes of amendment in the National Assembly.

"We will meet with our MPs to seek a solution to this," said the deputy president.