Several Kenyan civil society groups, under the Okoa Kenya campaign, have raised concerns about the Finance Bill, 2026, warning it disproportionately benefits the wealthy and burdens ordinary citizens.

• The Finance Bill, 2026 allegedly widens tax exemptions for high-net-worth individuals and large asset holders.
• Key organizations involved include Transparency International and the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
• The groups also criticized proposed amendments to the Tax Procedure Act, which they claim would grant the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) unchecked powers to access private citizen data.

Kenya's banking sector is strongly opposing proposed taxes in the Finance Bill that could significantly increase the cost of digital payments and potentially lead to financial exclusion.

• The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) warns that new taxes on card transaction fees and digital payment processing could inflate total transaction costs by up to 58.4%.
• The KBA argues that taxing these financial services contradicts a Supreme Court ruling and undermines legal certainty, while also raising concerns about compliance confusion for merchants.
• Additionally, the KBA opposes a clause that would allow the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) to deem 60% of a business's undistributed income as dividends, potentially impacting reinvestment and economic growth.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has warned Kenyan county governments to strengthen oversight and fully implement the new Conflict of Interest Act, 2025, citing massive losses of public funds due to weak accountability systems.

• The EACC highlighted that weak oversight structures in devolved units expose them to significant financial losses.
• Key organizations involved include the EACC and county governments, particularly the Bungoma County Assembly Service Board.
• Sectors most vulnerable to conflicts of interest are procurement and staff recruitment, with tenders often awarded to proxy companies linked to Members of County Assemblies (MCAs), leading to inflated costs and stalled projects.