CS Mbadi Takes Kalonzo Head-on Over Land Taxation Claims

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi has called out Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka after he claimed that the Finance Bill 2026 is seeking to introduce land taxation.

Addressing the media on Monday, May 25, CS Mbadi accused Kalonzo of misleading members of the public.

CS Mbadi clarified that the Finance Bill 2026 has no clause that touches on Land taxation or a plan to convert freehold land to leasehold.

“I watched former vice president Kalonzo Musyoka misleading the public. First, I watched his press conference, and he said reject the Finance Bill.

“I was waiting to hear why Kalonzo, of all the people, asked the Finance Bill to be rejected, then he says that there are hidden provisions in the Finance Bill and one of them is taxation of land,” Mbadi stated.

The Treasury CS challenged Kalonzo to point out the particular clause in the Finance Bill that proposes land taxation.

“There is nowhere in the bill that talks about taxing land. Can Kalonzo tell the people of Kenya the particular clause in the bill that we submitted to the National Assembly where it has touched on taxation of land?” Mbadi posed.

CS Mbadi further urged leaders to critique the Finance Bill 2026 objectively instead of politicizing it.

“We must be a responsible nation. If there is a problem with the Finance Bill 2026, let us point it out, and then we deal with it, but let us not politicize it,” the Treasury CS added.

Kalonzo, while speaking on Sunday during a church service in Murang’a County, alleged that the government wants to quietly introduce leasehold ownership.

“Reject the Finance Bill 2026 because it quietly introduces leasehold land ownership. Dedan Kimathi would have died in vain, and the blood Kenyans shed for our land rights will be for nothing.

“Kenyans will end up paying rent on leasehold land. That is what this administration wants to introduce, but our position is to reject it,” Kalonzo claimed.

Earlier, the National Assembly dismissed Kalonzo’s claims, saying there is no clause relating to land or land rent in the Finance Bill 2026.

The assembly urged members of the public to disregard the claims, saying they are intended to mislead Kenyans.

The National Assembly also dismissed allegations that President William Ruto had already signed into law a separate land law introducing annual land rent for freehold land owners.

“There is no such Bill in Parliament, and no Act has been passed by Parliament or signed into law by the President in the current Parliament relating to land rent on freehold land,” Parliament added.