Nairobi, 11 January, 2024 / 9:20 pm (ACI Africa).
Members of CitizenGO Africa, a Catholic activist organization, are calling on Kenya’s Attorney General (AG), Justin Muturi, to protect churches in the country from taxation after a group of activists in the country went to court asking that the places of worship be taxed.
A Kenyan medical doctor moved to the High Court on January 3 to challenge sections of the Income Tax Act Cap 470 which exempts some institutions from paying taxes. According to Dr. Magare Gikenyi, the Income Tax Act goes contrary to the Article 201(b) of the Kenyan Constitution which states that the tax burden should be shared fairly by all Kenyans and all sectors of the economy.
In a Wednesday, January 9 petition addressed to Kenya’s AG, CitizenGo Africa members say freedom of worship in the East African nation is at stake if the petition to tax places of worship succeeds.
“We urge you, Hon. Justin Muturi, to uphold the constitutional interest of protecting churches from government control and taxation,” the activists say.
They ask the AG to “take action to ensure that religious freedom in Kenya remains intact and that churches can continue to serve their communities without unnecessary financial burdens.”
