Wary of Inflation, Kenya Lawmakers Push to Halve Cooking Gas Tax

Kenyan lawmakers seek to cut or block proposed tax increases on key items, including cooking gas and digital services, to curb inflation ahead of August elections.

The value-added tax on cooking gas should be halved to 8% “to protect Kenyans from the growing cost of living,” Gladys Wanga, the chairwoman of the legislature’s finance committee, said during a session in the National Assembly on Thursday. Consumers have been paying 16% VAT on the gas for almost a year.

The lawmakers also rejected the National Treasury’s plan to double the digital service tax to 3%, saying the additional cost will be ...