Human Rights Concerns Take Center Stage in Finance Bill 2025
If you think tax laws are just about numbers, think again. Amnesty International Kenya’s new memorandum on the Finance Bill 2025 throws a spotlight on the real impact these policies can have on people’s lives. The 20-page submission, handed to Parliament in April, doesn’t just pick apart technical clauses—it calls out the dangers of eroding protections for those already struggling and challenges lawmakers to put people first.
What’s at stake? Proposed tweaks to the Investment Promotion Act and Land Act. Sounds bureaucratic, right? But these amendments could unravel safeguards put in place to shield affordable housing mortgage holders and homeowners teetering on the edge of financial stability. Amnesty’s memo warns that if these protections go, more Kenyans could face evictions or lose homes, making inequality even worse. The organization says it’s not just about homes—it’s about dignity and equal treatment for all citizens.
Another blazing red flag is a plan to loosen oversight of how investment projects get approved. Right now, some checks make sure companies coming into Kenya actually benefit locals, not just shareholders abroad. Amnesty’s concern? With weaker accountability, transparency will slip, and projects could sidestep commitments around hiring Kenyans, transferring know-how, or building critical local capacity. Too often, deals look good on paper but leave communities shortchanged in reality.
Safeguarding Equity: What Amnesty Wants Changed
Instead of letting effective protections fade away, the memorandum presses for Parliament to keep safety nets in place for vulnerable homeowners. Amnesty urges lawmakers to tie any new policy directly to Kenya’s constitutional rights and the Sustainable Development Goals. That means not just talking about fairness and inclusion, but building them into the law—line by line.
But Amnesty isn’t just yelling “stop!” They offer solutions. They’re calling for a monitoring framework that spells out who’s responsible for what, and by when. This isn’t about annual reports gathering dust—it’s about tracking whether investment projects actually deliver local jobs and skills, and setting up real consequences if companies don’t follow through. There should also be detailed rules to ensure technology transfer isn’t an empty promise.
The memo also zeroes in on transparency. Kenyans deserve to know how deals get signed, who benefits, and what’s really being promised. Amnesty suggests making key information public, inviting more scrutiny, and making it harder for backroom deals that undercut local interests.
The timing matters. Parliament is reviewing these amendments against a backdrop of public frustration about inequality and broken promises from past investments. Amnesty and its partners want Kenya’s tax and investment laws to be a tool for inclusion—not another way the rich get richer.
Now, it’s up to lawmakers to take these recommendations seriously. All eyes are on Parliament to see if the Finance Bill 2025 moves Kenya closer to fairness and real opportunity—or deepens the divides that have plagued the country for years.
