Kenya court strikes out key clauses of a finance law as economic woes deepen from rising public debt

By EMMANUEL IGUNZA
Associated Press

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The Kenyan High Court has struck out key clauses of a contentious finance law that has been blamed for significantly raising taxes and the cost of living in East Africa’s largest economy. A trio of high court judges said Tuesday that parts of the Finance Act 2023 that touched on a mandatory housing levy were unconstitutional and couldn’t be enforced. The law has been backed by the International Monetary Fund. It’s part of the government’s efforts to increase revenue collection to pay for a ballooning foreign debt that now stands at $70 billion. Some of it is due next year.