The Kibera slum in Nairobi, Kenya. Increased payroll taxes is one element of President William Ruto’s desperate bid to raise revenue to keep Kenya’s government running and pay off its staggering foreign debt. — Brian Otieno/The New York Times
THE pay stubs tell the story – hefty deductions to help cover the cost of Kenya’s new funds for affordable housing and health insurance, more money deducted for jacked-up contributions to the National Social Security Fund and an increase in the tax rate.
In a matter of months, Kenyans with a 45,000-shilling-a-month salary (RM1,474) saw their take-home pay shrink 9%.
